A year ago, as Ben Johnson familiarized himself with the Chicago Bears’ roster and formulated a wish list for his first offseason as head coach, the offensive line became a top priority. For Johnson’s offense to come to life the way he wanted, he knew improvement efforts had to start up front and specifically targeted the interior of the line.
Asked at last year’s combine whether it was realistic to upgrade the entirety of the interior offensive line in one offseason, Johnson showcased his aggressive mindset, referencing the Carolina Panthers’ 2024 big-splash signings of guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis as a model.
“It’s been done before, right?” Johnson said. “That really changed the dynamic of their offense. … There’s no question you can change the dynamic of the room just like that.”
Just a few weeks later …
Over six days in early March, the Bears executed attention-grabbing trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and pounced early in free agency to sign center Drew Dalman. There was little hesitation and no waffling. Just a head coach asserting what he wanted and a general manager in Ryan Poles helping get things done.
“The clearer the vision,” Poles said, “the more aggressive you can be. That’s important.”
Was it ever. Thuney put together an All-Pro season and was named Protector of the Year at NFL Honors. Dalman was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Including the playoffs, Jackson played 1,292 snaps out of a possible 1,316 and brought an edge up front. The chemistry and continuity on the offensive line proved valuable.
Not coincidentally, the Bears leaped from 25th in the league in rushing in 2024 to third in Johnson’s first season. The offense’s sack total plummeted by 65 percent. Quarterback Caleb Williams experienced a significant developmental jump and the Bears shot into the top 10 in total offense after finishing last the previous season.
It was a lesson in attacking the roster-building process, in gaining a clear and sober analysis of the depth chart, then working within established parameters to make calculated improvements. That process will continue for the Bears over the next two months, first with free agency and then into the draft. The league’s window for negotiating with unrestricted free agents will open on March 9. Before then, the Bears must finalize plans with in-house free agents and set themselves up for the free-agency flea market.
With that in mind, here are the top 10 Bears with contracts set to expire in March.
1. S Kevin Byard
First-team All-Pro. Team captain. An NFL-best seven interceptions this season. Byard’s value, both as a playmaker and as the heartbeat of the locker room, is undeniable. He has expressed his desire to return, emphasizing how much fun he had this season as one of the engines of the Bears’ division championship run.
“I enjoy this locker room and I enjoy this team,” Byard said in January. “I enjoy being the leader. I enjoy being able to break the huddles down before the games. This is a lot of fun. This is who I am.”
Poles, meanwhile, labeled the talented safety as “a special player” whom the organization would love to re-sign. But doing so at a fair price point for both sides, according to the GM, “will be a challenge.” It’s a challenge worth monitoring, particularly with three other Bears safeties also coming out of contract. In what promises to be an eventful offseason, clarity on Byard’s future will be among the most intriguing developments.
2. CB Nahshon Wright
When Wright joined the Bears last April on a one-year, $1.1 million deal, he expected to compete for a reserve role. Instead, Jaylon Johnson’s absence from much of the offseason program opened a window of opportunity during organized team activities and minicamp. Wright was ready.
When Johnson later suffered a groin injury that kept him out of training camp and ultimately cost him 10 games, Wright responded with a breakout season with five interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Many of those takeaways came in huge moments, too, helping set Wright up for the biggest payday of his life.
In a crowded secondary that includes Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson, it may prove difficult to keep Wright on a practical deal. How the market materializes for the 27-year-old corner will be fascinating.
Safety Jaquan Brisker is well-regarded at Halas Hall, but his injury history and roster needs elsewhere could lead to his departure. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
3. S Jaquan Brisker
A second-round pick in 2022, Brisker may have had the best game of his career in the playoff loss to the Rams, contributing 14 tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit and two passes defensed. For Brisker, that was punctuation on a season in which the 26-year-old showed improved durability, starting all 19 games in the final season of his rookie contract.
Brisker is no doubt a driven, team-first player. Still, evaluating his full body of work ahead of free agency requires an acknowledgement of the concussion issues that affected him in each of his first three seasons. For his career, Brisker has missed 16 games, and his overall ball production (four interceptions, four forced fumbles) has been ordinary.
4. DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Gardner-Johnson was a nomad in 2025, bouncing from Philadelphia to Houston to Baltimore to Chicago. But he wound up becoming a valuable insurance policy for the Bears, filling in nicely as starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon missed 14 games with soft-tissue injuries.
Gardner-Johnson, who turned 28 in December, had two interceptions, three sacks and 51 total tackles, bringing a needed edge to the defense. His coverage consistency remains a concern and was exposed at times when opposing offenses created favorable matchups. With the Bears needing to address bigger needs at other positions, it would not be a shock if the veteran defensive back was left to join his seventh team when the spring arrives.
5. OT Braxton Jones
Jones’ return from a serious 2024 ankle injury — plus subsequent surgery — proved to be physically and mentally taxing. His push to win the Week 1 starting left tackle role was far from convincing as he struggled with consistency and strength. The Bears benched him during a September win over the Raiders, and Jones later suffered a knee injury that put him on injured reserve for the final 11 weeks of the regular season. With Ozzy Trapilo’s recovery from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon adding uncertainty to the Bears’ left tackle situation this offseason, Jones could theoretically be a candidate to return on a team-friendly prove-it deal to compete for a role either as a starter or as the swing tackle. But it would be far from surprising if the Bears wished him well and chose to move in a different direction.
6. DT Andrew Billings
Billings has experienced a career resurgence in his three seasons in Chicago, a free-agency success story for Poles, who originally signed the 340-pound nose tackle to a one-year, $2.75 million deal in 2023. At full strength, Billings has frequently been a load up front, a dependable defensive tackle and solid run stuffer. But as the Bears look to juice up their pass rush and improve on the interior, Billings isn’t an ideal scheme fit under coordinator Dennis Allen.
7. LB D’Marco Jackson
When the Bears’ linebacking corps was decimated by injuries in Week 12, Jackson turned his first start into a 15-tackle performance in a victory over the Steelers. Three weeks later, he contributed a sack and a tide-turning interception to a blowout win over Cleveland, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Also a dependable special teams contributor, Jackson has earned trust in that phase from coordinator Richard Hightower and has a history with Dennis Allen in New Orleans.
“Obviously I’d love to be back here,” Jackson told The Athletic on locker cleanout day. “I’ve enjoyed my time with the organization. But there’s the business side. Now it’s about seeing what is to come.”
8. DE Daniel Hardy
Hardy’s physicality and energy were felt all season on special teams, even earning him a couple of snaps at fullback for Ben Johnson’s offense. Over three seasons in Chicago, Hardy has developed into a valuable special teams weapon and has impressed Hightower with his coachability, effort and playmaking consistency. He led the Bears’ third phase this season with 19 tackles and seems to be the type of player who fits into what Johnson is building at Halas Hall.
9. QB Case Keenum
The Bears loved what the soon-to-be 38-year-old veteran brought to their quarterbacks room from a leadership and guidance standpoint, a valuable resource for Williams — and backup Tyson Bagent — to lean into on a weekly basis. Keenum earned $2.25 million for those duties and seemed to enjoy the environment the Bears created. Whether there is mutual interest in running it back for 2026 remains to be seen, particularly after the Bears rewarded Bagent with a $10 million extension last summer that has him under contract with the team as their QB2 through 2027.
10. TE Durham Smythe
Smythe played the 2025 season on a one-year, $2.5 million deal and, as a pass catcher, produced only four catches for 25 yards. But in an offense that leans heavily into two- and three-tight-end sets, his contributions to the team’s NFC-best rushing attack were notable. He was also a valued contributor on special teams. How the Bears choose to shape the tight end room in 2026 remains to be seen. But it would not be a shock if they opted to run things back with Smythe on a similar short-term, affordable deal.