Full Chicago Bears 2025 Offseason Recap & Grades

Bears

Sep 5

Following a 2024 season that was an emotional roller coaster for the Bears and their fans, ending with a disappointing 5-12 record, Ryan Poles knew he was entering the biggest offseason of his career as a GM. After completely ignoring a multitude of holes on the offensive line last offseason, leading to his rookie QB Caleb Williams taking a historic 68 sacks in 2024, Poles’ objective this time around was clear - BUILD THE TRENCHES! So, let’s look at the moves he made and grade each hire, free agency signing and 2025 draft pick.

Coaching Staff Overhaul

Before Poles could turn to upgrading the Bears roster, he had to replace the entire coaching staff - after finally parting ways with Matt Eberflus. On this, the Bears earned a solid A.

Ben Johnson – Head Coach (Former Lions OC/Play Caller)

The Bears made the major coaching move in the league by hiring the hottest candidate, Ben Johnson, to be their new head coach. If you were to ask Bears fans who they wanted after Eberflus was fired, the collective opinion about the search would have been “Ben Johnson or bust.” Johnson has been widely regarded as one of the best offensive play callers in the NFL. He was hired by the Detroit Lions to be their offensive coordinator in 2022 and under his watch Detroit’s offense ranked 4th in 2022, 3rd in 2023, and 2nd in 2024. It is hard to not get excited about the pairing of Ben Johnson with now 2nd year QB Caleb Williams for hopefully years to come.

Declan Doyle – Offensive Coordinator (Former Broncos TE Coach)

At only 28 years old, Doyle is one of the youngest coordinators in the NFL. While it is pretty much a guarantee that new HC Ben Johnson is going to be the primary offensive play caller, Doyle will have the opportunity to gain a wealth of experience learning how to call plays and will be another key part of the Bears new staff as he can bring a fresh perspective to this new offense.

Dennis Allen – Defensive Coordinator (Former Saints DC/Interim HC)

This is my favorite coordinator hire that Ben Johnson made. Allen will bring tons of coaching experience as he most recently served as interim HC for the New Orleans Saints and is considered an excellent leader. Allen is known for having aggressive defensive schemes and I think he will instill a much-needed attacking mindset to this Bears defense.

Richard Hightower - Special Teams Coordinator (Retained from Bears Staff)

Richard Hightower has quietly become one of the most consistent figures on the Chicago Bears coaching staff. Serving as the team’s special teams coordinator since 2022, Hightower has guided the unit through multiple roster and leadership changes. When Ben Johnson took over as head coach and ushered in a wave of new hires, Hightower was one of the few coaches retained.

Antwaan Randle El – WR Coach/Assistant HC (Former Lions WR Coach)

A Chicago native and former NFL wide receiver, Antwaan Randle El returns home as the Bears new assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. He previously coached wide receivers for the Detroit Lions (2021–24), where he played a key role in developing top-tier talent such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Randle El also brings championship experience from his playing days, including a Super Bowl victory with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

JT Barrett – QB Coach (Former Lions Assistant QB Coach)

Yet another Lions coach that followed Ben Johnson to Chicago, former Ohio State standout quarterback J.T. Barrett joins the Bears as the new quarterbacks coach. He previously focused on quarterback development with the Detroit Lions. As a huge Ohio State fan, I admittedly have a bit of favoritism towards this hire as a huge Ohio State fan, but I really do believe that his previous experience working with Ben Johnson makes him a valuable addition to the Bears.

Al Harris – DB/Passing Defense Coach (Former Cowboys DB Coach)

Veteran coach and former Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris takes on the role of defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach. He is known for his work with the Dallas Cowboys, where he developed a strong secondary unit. Harris's expertise is expected to enhance the Bears elite secondary unit led by all-pro CB Jaylon Johnson.

Eric Bienemy – RB Coach (Former Chiefs & Commanders OC)

Eric Bieniemy, a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, joins the Bears as the running backs coach. He brings extensive experience from his time as an offensive coordinator with both the Chiefs and the Washington Commanders. Bieniemy's offensive acumen is expected to bolster the Bears ground game.

Dan Roushar – OL Coach (Former Saints OL Coach)

Dan Roushar brings over three decades of coaching experience to the Bears as the offensive line coach. He previously held coaching positions with the New Orleans Saints, including offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Roushar's veteran presence is expected to strengthen the Bears' offensive front. This is my second favorite Ben Johnson coaching hire because, as I will detail throughout this piece, the theme for the Bears this offseason was an almost total overhaul of the offensive line.

Key Free Agency Signings/Extensions/Trades

Drew Dalman – C (3YRS/$42M)

In my opinion, this was the most important signing the Bears made this offseason. Not only did they fill a glaring hole at the Center position with one of the highest graded Centers in the league last season, but Dalman is also only 27 years old. I give this signing an A-, which might still be too low considering Chicago’s embarrassing recent track record at Center.

Dayo Odeyingbo – DT/EDGE (3YRS/$48M)

This is my lowest graded FA signing for the Bears for essentially two reasons. For starters, the contract is a pretty steep overpay at nearly $30M in guaranteed money. I also am not overly impressed with Odeyingbo’s stats from last season. According to PFF, he finished the 2024 season with a pass rush grade of 65.5 which is just barely above the league average for the EDGE position. A lot of people believe he has yet to hit his production ceiling so that is why I am not completely against this move. I believe that it is a large investment financially for the Bears but I will be more than okay if he proves me wrong this season. This gets a modest C grade for now.

Grady Jarrett – DT (3YRS/$43.5M)

Grady Jarrett was the move that most caught me off guard when it happened. Although he is getting up there in age, he has still been very productive and I think he will be a great leader for the young guys on this defensive line such as Gervon Dexter, who I am expecting to take the next step in 2025. I am a huge fan of this and give it an A- grade.

Olamide Zaccheaus – WR (1YR/$1.5M)

I think Zaccheaus was the perfect choice to compete for WR3 for the Bears. With DJ Moore and Rome Odunze being the bigger and all-around type of receivers, Zaccheaus will likely serve as the speedy gadget type weapon that Ben Johnson loved to use in Detroit. He is also a particularly good deep threat option, and the contract is very low risk/high reward. Therefore, it gets a simple B grade from me.

Case Keenum – QB (1YR/$3M)

I thinkthis was another great roster addition that costs the bears virtually nothing. I was expecting them to bring in a veteran QB at some point during the offseason and Keenum was one of my top preferred choices. Keenum will bring loads of experience into what was a young QB room with Williams and Bagent, and he would be a serviceable backup if God forbid Williams had to miss any games this season.

Kyler Gordon – CB (3YRS/$40M ($31.25M GTD) Contract Extension)

During his 2024 end of season press conference, Ryan Poles said that getting an extension done with Gordon was a “top priority” this offseason. Last season, Gordon was one of the best slot corners in the league and was an important piece of this Bears defense. I also think that this is a very team friendly deal considering Gordon’s on-field production. So, I’ll give it an A grade.

TJ Edwards – LB (2YRS/$20M ($16.6M GTD) Contract Extension)

This extension came out of nowhere just a little over a week before the NFL Draft. But like the Gordon deal, I think that this was a great deal for both sides. Some Bears fans don’t like the move because of Edwards’ drop off in production last season. Only time will tell if he can have a bounce back year in 2025. This extension gets a B from me.

Jonah Jackson – G (via trade w/ LA Rams for a 2025 6th Round Pick)

o This trade was the first official roster move that Ryan Poles made this offseason and while some Bears fans initially questioned it, I thought it was fairly good. The main reason for this skepticism amongst some fans is because of Jackson’s hefty contract that the Bears now must inherit. According to Over the Cap, Jackson will be owed $17.5M in 2025, and $21.5M in 2026. Jackson also has a lengthy injury history as he missed 10 games over the past two seasons with various injuries. However, with all of that being considered, I still think that the risk/reward of this move was worth it for the Bears. When healthy, Jackson has a few years of experience playing in a Ben Johnson offense from their time together in Detroit. I’ll give this a modest C grade for now because Jackson’s injury concerns make it sort of a gray area in my opinion.

Joe Thuney – G (via trade w/ KC Chiefs for a 2026 4th Round Pick)

This was clearly the headliner move for the Bears this offseason. Ryan Poles somehow managed to land a top five Guard for only a mid-round draft pick that isn’t even from this year's draft. The Bears also were able to sign Thuney to a new contract extension of 2 years/$35M making him the 10th highest paid Guard in the NFL based on AAV. I give this trade an A- grade because the Bears didn’t give up much draft capital and were able extend him without breaking the bank.

2025 Draft Class and Trades

Colston Loveland – TE – Michigan (Rd1 Pk10)

While there were many reports and rumors in the days leading up to the draft that Chicago was aggressively trying to trade up, presumably for RB Ashton Jeanty, they ultimately stayed put at the 10th pick and selected TE Colston Loveland out of Michigan. Loveland is a field-stretching threat as a receiver and a very willing and capable blocker. In his three seasons as a Wolverine, he hauled in 117 catches for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns. In grading this pick I did consider that Michigan was and still is a very run-heavy offense with shaky quarterback play during Loveland’s time there which hindered his production. Like a few other Bears fans, my gut reaction to this pick was to be annoyed because I had considered Loveland to be the second-best TE in this class behind Tyler Warren from Penn State. However, after taking a deeper dive into his film and learning more about him, I have warmed up to this pick and I trust that Ben Johnson will find a variety of ways to get him involved in this new offense. So, I grade it a solid B.

Luther Burden III – WR – Missouri (Rd2 Pk39)

In my opinion, this pick might end up being one of the steals of the draft when we look back on it after the 2025 season. Many draft experts and mock drafts had Burden being selected somewhere in the back half of the first round as one of the top receivers in this class. But for some reason that I have yet to figure out, he ended up being the 5th WR off the board and fell right into Chicago’s lap. However, it is worth noting that his production levels saw a steep drop off from his 2023 campaign where he finished with 86 catches, over 1,200 yards, and 9 receiving touchdowns. Whereas in 2024 he finished with 25 fewer catches, his yardage was nearly cut in half, and he had just 6 touchdowns. Regardless, his talent is still off the charts, and he had no business falling out of the first round. So, this was a slam dunk pick by the Bears at 39 that gets an A grade from me.

Ozzy Trapilo – OT – Boston College (Rd2 Pk56 via trade w/ BUF)

I was pleased to see that Poles didn’t completely neglect the offensive line during the early rounds of the draft even after all the investments he made to it during free agency and through trading away draft capital. Trapilo played mainly at right tackle while he was at Boston College, but he did log over 600 snaps at left tackle during his freshman season. This makes me think that he will most likely battle with Chicago’s current LT Braxton Jones to become Caleb Williams’ blindside pass protector for the 2025/26 season. For now, I grade this pick as a B- because I do think it was a bit of a reach, but I would love to be proven wrong.

Shemar Turner – DT – Texas A&M (Rd2 Pk62 via trade w/ BUF)

Turner was a prospect I hoped the Bears would take with one of their second-round picks. He plays with aggression and has active and violent hands. He does, however, have issues with his discipline and would often receive penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct that negatively affected his team. But I feel like that can be controlled with proper coaching. I give this pick a very solid B with a good chance that it ends up becoming an A.

Ruben Hyppolite II – LB - Maryland (Rd4 Pk132 via trade w/ BUF)

I am not a fan of this pick. After missing out on the top running backs in this class, I was sure the Bears would take one here. But instead, they took a linebacker who according to a few experts, was expected to be available as an UDFA. Hyppolite is a very speedy linebacker who started in 46 games over his 5 collegiate seasons at Maryland. My biggest issue with this pick is that not only would he have likely still been on the board in later rounds, but also linebacker was not one of the biggest needs for the Bears this offseason. I would much rather the Bears had taken a running back or some depth on either side of the trenches. This gets a generous C grade from me.

Zah Frazier – CB - UTSA (Rd5 Pk169 via trade w/ BUF)

Day 3 is the time to bet on traits, so it's easy to see why Frazier had appeal despite needing to develop after three seasons at UTSA. He has excellent size and length for a corner, as well as elite speed (ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine). Frazier's speed translates to his recovery skills on deep passes, but he can also be an excellent ball hawk as his six interceptions in 2024 tied for the second most in the country. Due to the upside that I think he has; I give this pick a B+.

Luke Newman – OL – Michigan State (Rd6 Pk195 via trade w/ LAR)

I will never be opposed to adding depth along the offensive line, especially at the Guard spots where Chicago’s newest additions in Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson are aging (Thuney) or injury prone (Jackson). Newman has plenty of playing experience coming into the league after starting every single game during his four seasons between Holy Cross and Michigan State. After watching some of his film when he played against college rival Michigan, I thought he did an impressive job in his reps against top five pick Mason Graham. He did, however, often struggle to make a noticeable impact as a run blocker during that game. Since he was a day three pick, I won’t be too critical. I give this selection a B- because I can’t imagine him being anything more than necessary O-line depth.

Kyle Monangai – RB - Rutgers (Rd7 Pk233)

While I think the Bears should have taken a running back much earlier in the draft this year, I really like pick. Every time one of the top RBs was about to fall to the Bears on their next pick, another team swooped in and took them, which explains why Chicago often decided to trade down during the later rounds. But Monangai has the chance to be a late round gem and might end up serving as the RB2 next year depending on what the depth chart injuries look like at the start of the season. Monangai is a small but very physical back who requires more than one defender to tackle. In his 2024 campaign with Rutgers, he finished with 256 carries, 1,279 yards, and 13 rushing touchdowns. So, the fact that he was still available midway through the 7th round is a testament to how deep the RB position was in this draft class. With all that said, I give this pick an A- just on the value alone.

Offseason Grades

Free Agency/Contract Extension Grade: A-

It has a running joke amongst NFL fans, but I think that the Chicago Bears have once again won the free agency portion of the offseason. Ryan Poles finally did what he should have done each of the past two years which was invest in revamping the offensive line. My dream scenario before free agency was that the Bears would spend on the O-line in FA so they could take the BPA in the draft, and that’s exactly what they did. The contracts of each of these new acquisitions, or at least the more expensive ones, are all structured in the same way. Drew Dalman, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Grady Jarrett all signed for 3 years, which is essentially how much time the Bears have before they have to (hopefully) begin contract extension talks with Caleb Williams.

As for the two major contract extensions with Kyler Gordon and TJ Edwards, I think they were both fairly team friendly deals and will send a great message to the locker room - if you can be productive on the field and have a winning impact, then you’ll be financially rewarded. I also think that Gordon’s deal is a very good sign for Ryan Poles because his first ever draft pick as a GM is now getting a new contract.

Draft Class Grade: B+

It’s clear that, for the most part, the draft board did not fall in Chicago’s favor. However, I really like their class that builds off the moves they made in free agency. My only real gripe is that they waited until their very last pick to address their hole at running back. But again, every time it looked like one of those top RB prospects was going to fall to them, another team swooped them up. Obviously, the main headline will be how Luther Burden III fell to them at 39 and he is easily my pick to become the steal of the draft when we look back on it next season and beyond. Here’s to hoping this was another big step in building a very promising future for Chicago Bears football.

Final Overall Offseason Grade: A

I was very close to giving Ryan Poles a perfect A+ grade for the work he has done over these last couple of months, but I refuse to let myself get overly excited after buying into all the offseason hype Chicago had around this time last year. However, Poles has certainly exceeded my original offseason expectations by heavily prioritizing the offensive line as well as landing the hottest head coaching candidate in quite some time. As I always tell myself as a fan, only time will tell how successful these moves turn out to be.

Connor Sullivan