Bear Digest

Grading the Chicago Bears' signing of Colts DE Dayo Odeyingbo in 2025 free agency

The Chicago Bears made another splash signing in 2025 free agency, this time on defense with Colts DE Dayo Odeyingbo. Here's our grade for the move.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears' busy 2025 offseason continued with another splash addition in free agency. This time, it was on the defensive side of the ball, agreeing to terms with former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo.

The Bears have been considered a strong contender in the 2025 edge defender market. Odeyingbo, a second-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, has been mentioned as a possible target all along.


Odeyingbo, 25, is a perfect fit for Dennis Allen's defense. At 6-6 and 286 pounds, the three-down defender is a player on the rise whose best pass-rush production lies ahead.

Odeyingbo totaled eight sacks in 2023 before regressing to three last season, his first as a weekly starter.

The Bears will pay Odeyingbo $16 million per season (three years, $48 million) in what's essentially a bet on his continued development under Allen and playing opposite Montez Sweat.

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (54) takes the field
Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Odeyingbo is a risky signing. In 2024, he earned a 66.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, which included an underwhelming 65.5 pass-rush score.

The Bears couldn't afford to exit free agency without adding a quality complement to Sweat, who led Chicago with just 5.5 sacks in 2024. And while other options like Josh Sweat and Chase Young may have created more excitement in the fan base, the fact Ryan Poles added a quality starter with long-term upside is encouraging.

Overall, this signing earns a solid B-. It's not a bad move, but it doesn't scream difference maker, either.

If anything, I think Poles just tipped his hand for the 2025 NFL Draft, where he can select a pure pass-rusher at No. 10 overall to round out a rotation of edge rushers who can compete at a high level on all three downs.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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