Grading the Bears' 2-Year Agreement With Former Colts DT Neville Gallimore

The Chicago Bears struck fast in free agency, but it was not the move anyone had expected.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

It's the first day of the tampering period in 2026 NFL free agency, and we're already off to a fast start. Several potential targets for the Chicago Bears are off the board as linebacker Alez Anzalone agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips agreed to terms with the Panthers. But the Bears have finally struck a deal, agreeing to terms with former Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Neville Gallimore on a two-year, $12 million deal.

The #Bears are signing DT Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12M deal, sources tell The Insiders. Deal negotiated by @LIFTSPORTSMNGMT. pic.twitter.com/Pl1ZfK0tPm

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026

It's an underwhelming deal, to be sure. I doubt that any Bears fans had Gallimore on their radar when free agency began, and he's certainly not going to radically change expectations for Chicago's defense in 2026, at least not by himself. However, much like the Bears re-signing D'Marco Jackson to a two-year deal this morning, it's the kind of meat-and-potatoes deal that general managers have to make to fill out a roster. The Bears don't have a lot of depth along the defensive line, especially on the interior, and adding Gallimore changes that.

What Neville Gallimore brings to the Chicago Bears

A former third-round pick of the 2020 NFL draft, Gallimore is at the very least a reliable, stalwart veteran. In one season with the Indianapolis Colts last year, he set a career-high mark of 3.5 sacks, bringing his six-year total to 7.5 sacks. He also added 17 total pressures and batted down three different passes. Against the run, he stopped the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage 17 times.

Those numbers are nothing to shake a stick at. Is Gallimore going to suddenly become an All-Pro in Chicago? No, but that's not necessarily what the Bears need. Waves of pass rushers are becoming a trend in NFL defenses, and we've seen the last two Super Bowl champions win with defensive lines full of guys like Gallimore rather than a line led by one superstar.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, this is an affordable, no-nonsense deal that adds another layer of dependable depth to Chicago's defensive line. It reminds me of the original Andrew Billings deal, and that one turned out pretty well for the Bears as Billings led a huge turnaround from one of the league's worst defenses against the run to the very best.

One would hope that the Bears aren't done adding to the defensive line just yet, but this deal is a decent starter to free agency, and I give it a solid 'B' grade.

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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