An unexpected division-championship season is in the books for the Chicago Bears, who already are moving on to 2026 after Sunday’s overtime playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Many questions lie ahead for the offseason involving who will — and won’t — be back with the Bears next season. Brad Biggs addresses the first wave of them in his weekly Bears mailbag.

What current Bears will be the toughest decisions for Ryan Poles? — @tn5280

Poles and coach Ben Johnson have a lot of work ahead of them. Year 1 for Johnson was really about laying the groundwork for the future, and what made it so exciting was the Bears experienced so much success along the way.

As everyone knows, the Bears are more snug against the salary cap this year, and of course they won’t be armed with the same kind of draft capital they had in 2025, when they owned the 10th pick and three choices in Round 2.

The evaluation process will stretch from the top of the roster to the bottom. While everyone wants moves and names and creative ideas to create more cap space to build a bigger, better roster in 2026, that doesn’t happen overnight. The Bears are two weeks behind non-playoff teams in this process — and that’s a good thing. The first thing they need to do is take a deep breath, take a step back and give everyone time to clear their minds in order to complete an objective analysis.

“We’ll go back in the bunker here after a couple weeks and we’ll assess where we can get better,” Johnson said. “That’s our commitment to each other. That’s our commitment to this organization is that we’ve got to continue to clean up where we can find little edges that make us a little bit better over the course of the season. So that’s what we’ll do.”

When you talk about “toughest decisions,” I imagine you’re referring to those the Bears need to make on highly paid veterans. Which players do they go forward with? Would they be willing, in a few instances, to restructure contracts in order to create cap room? Is an extension, which could lower the cap hit, a possibility for one or two players? Are there players they would consider trading or releasing?

A lot of layers are involved in this process. For instance, if the Bears are on the fence about a veteran making good money at a position where they don’t see a lot of great options in free agency or the draft, do they think twice about it?

But you’re talking about taking a hard look at players earning a lot of money, especially those who have exhausted the guaranteed money in their contracts. But it’s really everyone with a large price tag.

There are 13 players, not including quarterback Caleb Williams, with a 2026 cap hit above $8 million, according to spotrac.com.

WR DJ Moore: $28.5 million
DE Montez Sweat: $25.1M
CB Jaylon Johnson: $25M
LG Joe Thuney: $21.5M
DE Dayo Odeyingbo: $20.5M
RG Jonah Jackson: $19.5M
DT Grady Jarrett: $19M
LB Tremaine Edmunds: $17.4M
C Drew Dalman: $14M
CB Kyler Gordon: $13.3M
TE Cole Kmet: $11.6M
LB T.J. Edwards: $10.8M
RB D’Andre Swift: $8.8M

Moore seems to be the player everyone is wondering about. The Bears signed him to a four-year, $110 million extension on July 31, 2024. There’s no cap savings if the Bears release Moore. The only way to clear room would be to trade him.

If the Bears pursue that angle, I doubt they would get a whole lot back in return because Moore has a $23.485 million base salary, per-game roster bonuses totaling $765,000 and a $250,000 workout bonus. So an acquiring team would be looking at paying him $24.5 million in 2026. But if the Bears can find a receiver-needy team to take him on, they would create $16.5 million in cap space. Again, they’d have to find a trade partner, but the way the contract is structured, it could be a one-year rental.

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Edmunds and Swift are the two players on the list entering the final year of their contracts. Going off the cuff, five days after the season ended, Edmunds looks like someone who could be caught in a jam. Releasing him would clear $15 million in cap space. Does the conversation become a little more nuanced after Edwards — who got a new contract last offseason — broke his fibula in the wild-card victory over the Green Bay Packers?

The conversation is a little more difficult with Swift. You can make a case he earned every bit of his contract this season, and if you let him go, all of a sudden you absolutely have to find a running back to pair with Kyle Monangai.

The Bears can look to restructure some of the highly paid veterans to create cap savings, but they would need to be shrewd. You only want to go that route with players you see definitely being a part of the team at least two years down the road.

“There’s some challenges and some big decisions we’ve got to make,” Poles said. “But I’m excited for that. Usually that means you’re in a good position and you’re having success, and the more success you have, the more challenges and hard decisions you’ve got to make — and those will be critical for us to sustain it.”

It’s complex and it will take some time for the team to work through evaluations.

How do you feel about the likelihood of keeping Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard? Feels like those are two keystone defensive pieces. Even if it means letting Nahshon Wright walk? — @frankfritzmann

Bears safety Elijah Hicks (22) puts his arm around safety Jaquan Brisker (9) after losing the NFC divisional playoff game to the Rams 20-17 in overtime Jan. 18, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Ryan Poles made it clear the Bears would like to have Byard back. What helps them out is he will be 33 in August. If he were 27, coming off an All-Pro season and entering the marketplace, Byard would have no shortage of big-time offers. The list of teams lining up to pay a 33-year-old safety won’t be as long, but there could be teams in need that desire the kind of veteran impact he can make in the locker room.

I don’t see any way the Bears sign both Byard and Brisker. That would be pouring too much money into the safety position. Even if Byard departs, I’m a little skeptical the team would pony up for Brisker. He was fantastic in the divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was his best game of the season, maybe his best in four years. I just don’t feel like he made a major impact over the course of the regular season, and you can’t let recency bias cloud your judgment.

Brisker played in all 19 games, and that’s a credit to him. He missed time in each of his first three seasons because of concussions, including 12 games in 2024. That’s a major concern. Give him a lot of respect for how he played against the Rams, but it’s a little hard for me to envision him parlaying that into a new contract with a team that clearly needs to draft at least one safety and build the position back up. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s my read on his situation.

Byard seems to like the idea of returning. My guess is the Bears might try to sign him to a two-year deal, perhaps three years if they want to spread out the cap hit a little bit. We’ll see if the sides can get something done.

What resources do you envision the Bears investing in left tackle this offseason? A budget veteran like Taylor Decker? Is the 25th pick a possibility? How do the Bears approach this situation in light of the Ozzy Trapilo injury? — @chicity3451

Bears left tackle Ozzy Trapilo leaves the field against the Packers during the fourth quarter of an NFC wild-card game Jan. 10, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

That’s a great question. A couple of folks mentioned Decker, and it seems like he could choose retirement after battling through a series of injuries. If not, the Detroit Lions might release him, making him a free agent. However, if Decker chooses to continue his career, what makes you think he would see himself as a “budget” veteran? He’s on a three-year, $60 million contract in Detroit. Maybe he wouldn’t get $20 million for 2026 on the open market, but if he keeps playing, he’s not going to do it for cheap.

How the Bears attack the left tackle position will be interesting. They have to get one for sure, as Ryan Poles said Trapilo’s rehabilitation from a torn patellar tendon could carry “deep” into next season. The level of investment will be shaped by a couple of factors.

First, what’s available? Start in free agency and consider veterans who could be cut loose by other teams, and then look ahead to the draft. Are there potentially appealing options that could be available with the 25th pick? How do the grades for those players match up with grades for players at other positions?

Second, how do the Bears evaluate Trapilo’s 2025 season and what is their level of confidence he can return to full strength from the injury? If they believe he can be a long-term solution at left tackle when he’s back, maybe the investment is smaller. If they believe he was a stop-gap measure who will be at his best on the right side, the investment might have to be larger.

So many factors are involved right now that it’s too difficult to predict which direction it will go.

How secure is Cole Kmet on the 2026 team? Would there be any thought to cut him? Could they get anything in trade? I love a local kid and hate for the Bears to finally get good and then move on, but the front office may feel different. Tough to pay top-10 TE rate for 30 receptions and there is an out in the contract. — @gregfeltes

Bears tight end Cole Kmet makes the tying touchdown catch against the Rams in the final seconds of the fourth quarter Jan. 18, 2026, in an NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

As I said above, I expect the Bears to take a hard look at veterans earning high pay, especially those who no longer have guaranteed money remaining in their contracts. Kmet, who turns 27 next month, is in that mix.

He is due an $8.9 million base salary in 2026 and has a $1 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the league year plus a $100,000 workout bonus for a total of $10 million. There’s no question Kmet would have trade value if the Bears considered moving him. Releasing him or trading him would create $8.4 million in cap space.

That being said, I’d be quite surprised if the Bears plotted a 2026 future without Kmet. Yes, he’s in the top 10 in pay for tight ends, but his dip in production as a receiving target the last two years isn’t due to a decline in play. He simply hasn’t been targeted like he was. You can’t just focus on statistics that are applicable to fantasy football. He brings a lot to the table in the running game and in leadership.

Kmet was on the field for 768 snaps this season. Besides Caleb Williams, the only skill-position player who played more was DJ Moore (979). Ben Johnson really leaned into 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers). Ditch Kmet and whom do you have to pair with Colston Loveland that can be productive in both the running and passing games (as both a receiver and blocker when needed)?

Trading or releasing Kmet would provide a good chunk of cap space but would create a larger hole in the depth chart, in my mind. He’s a valuable glue guy for the roster, and the combination of skill sets with Loveland gives the offense a lot of options. I think he’s pretty secure.

Last year, the Bears invested considerably on the defensive line with a second-round pick on Shemar Turner and free agents Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett yet received very little return. How much will the offseason strategy rely on getting production out of these players next year versus making new investments? — Lee D.

Bears defensive end Grady Jarrett celebrates after he and teammate Montez Sweat sacked Lions quarterback Jared Goff on Jan. 4, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

I believe the Bears will be banking on more from all three players while also looking to augment the talent and depth on the defensive line. Odeyingbo and Jarrett were signed to three-year contracts that pretty much guaranteed their pay through the first two seasons.

Odeyingbo has a $15.5 million base salary in 2026 with $500,000 available in a workout bonus. The base salary has $13 million fully guaranteed, and the remaining $2.5 million becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year.

Jarrett has a $14.25 million base salary with another $425,000 that he can collect in a workout bonus. His base salary has $13 million fully guaranteed, with the remainder also fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the league year.

Odeyingbo is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, and Turner is working his way back from a torn ACL. Jarrett, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee early in the season, gradually got stronger but won’t be 100% until some point in the offseason.

“There’s a lot going on there just in terms of we had some injuries going on that you have to overcome,” Ryan Poles said. “That’s an area we’re going to continue to press and get better. I look forward to Shemar getting back and Dayo getting back.”

I think the Bears are hoping healthy returns by these players with some additions will strengthen the defensive front. How those pieces come together, it’s too soon to say.

Has Ben Johnson self-scouted regarding his decisions to go for it on fourth down as much as he did? Does he feel he made the right decision every time? What are his criteria? Will he make any changes regarding fourth down next year? — @kag63

Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III can’t make a catch on fourth down as the Rams break up the pass in the fourth quarter Jan. 18, 2026, in an NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

The playoffs probably made it look like Johnson was more aggressive on fourth down than he truly was during the season. The Bears were 3 of 6 on fourth down in the loss to the Rams and 2 of 6 the week before against the Packers. During the regular season they were 15 of 29, and the 29 attempts tied for 12th in the league. For reference, only 10 teams had fewer than 25 offensive snaps on fourth down.

Some folks were clamoring for Johnson to take the points against the Rams early in the first quarter. The Bears went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Los Angeles 21-yard line on the opening possession, and Caleb Williams’ pass for Colston Loveland was intercepted by Cobie Durant.

I totally understand going for it at that point. The Rams had the league’s No. 1 offense and had yet to possess the ball, and the Bears probably figured they would need to score a lot of points to win. Trading field goals for touchdowns against a high-powered opponent early in the game is a good way to fall into a hole.

Of course, if Johnson knew his defense was going to limit the Rams to 17 points in regulation, maybe he kicks there. But I’m guessing he figured it would require 25 points — or more — to win. Williams to Loveland had been clutch on fourth down for much of the season too.

No one complained about the decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 3 on the first play of the second quarter — a touchdown pass to DJ Moore. Later in the second quarter, with the score tied 7-7, the Bears failed on fourth-and-1 from the Rams 32. Johnson chose to go for it instead of attempting a 50-yard field goal in the tough conditions, and Kyle Monangai was stopped for no gain. I don’t believe you can quibble with that decision, considering how the Bears ran the ball this season. The issue was execution on that specific play.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 10, Johnson elected to punt on fourth-and-2 from the Bears 45. With the Bears trailing by a touchdown, they failed on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with 3:06 remaining in regulation when a pass for Luther Burden III was incomplete.

I will circle back to what I said above: I believe the Bears expected they would need to score a lot of points to have a good shot. If that’s what you believe going in, the only thing you can do in those scenarios is go for it.

If Al Harris becomes the defensive coordinator of the Packers, would the Bears get compensatory draft picks? — @xsubco

Ben Johnson on his Chicago Bears assistants getting opportunities with other teams: ‘I’m all for it’

No. Compensatory picks are given to teams that lose a minority coach or executive who becomes the head coach or primary football executive for another team. There’s no compensation for losing an assistant to a coordinator role. Also, the rules stipulate that the coach or executive has to have worked for the previous team for at least two years. Harris has been with the Bears for one season. Similarly, the Bears won’t receive any compensation for the loss of running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who is returning to Kansas City as the Chiefs offensive coordinator.

Assistant general manager Ian Cunningham has a second interview with the Atlanta Falcons for their open GM job. The Bears won’t receive draft picks if Cunningham is hired for that job because recently hired president of football Matt Ryan is deemed to be the “primary football executive” for the Falcons. Because of that distinction, the Bears could block Cunningham from leaving if they wanted to.

Do you see the Bears bringing strong competition for Cairo Santos next year? — @angrysteveworld

Bears kicker Cairo Santos celebrates after a field goal in the fourth quarter of the NFC wild-card game against the Packers on Jan. 10, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

I don’t know if “competition” is the word I would use, but I’d bet they will have a second kicker on the 90-man roster during the offseason. Whether it’s more than a camp leg — a player to handle some of the practice work so the primary kicker isn’t overworked — we’ll have to see.

Santos is 34, and when kickers reach that age, they’re often on more or less a year-to-year basis. The final guaranteed money in his contract was paid out this past season, so there are no financial obligations. He’s due to earn $3.1 million in 2026 with a $100,000 workout bonus.

If you’re asking me if replacing Santos is a priority for the Bears, I would say no. Just rewind a few weeks and recall how Ben Johnson declared his high level of trust in Santos. That’s not the kind of thing that’s handed out easily. Santos is very good at Soldier Field, and that was evident in a handful of bad-weather games late in the season.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/chicago-bears-mailbag-ryan-poles-roster-decisions/