Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson have some big decisions to make this offseason.
Year 1 with Johnson at the helm was an overwhelming success. But as the coach said himself, it’s a new year and the Bears are “back to square one.” They will have plenty to discuss in the coming weeks and months.
With the NFL scouting combine and free agency on the horizon, here’s a look at how the most significant Bears offensive players fared in 2025, what their contract statuses are and how Poles might evaluate each position.
Contract numbers according to Spotrac and Over The Cap. Stats according to Pro Football Reference.
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Quarterback
Caleb Williams
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field Sunday Jan. 4, 2026 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering third year of rookie contract.
What to know: A year from now, the Bears will have to decide whether to pick up the fifth-year option in Williams’ contract for the 2028 season. After throwing for a franchise-record 3,942 yards in 2025 and guiding the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, Williams appears to be on pace for a huge payday down the line. His entire four-year rookie contract is worth $39.5 million. These days, top quarterbacks earn north of $50 million per year. But the Bears don’t have to worry about that quite yet.
Tyson Bagent
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent warms up before a game against the Giants on Nov. 9, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering first year of two-year extension signed last summer.
What to know: Bagent, a former undrafted free agent from Division II Shepherd, signed a two-year, $10 million extension over the summer that keeps him under team control through 2027. He played out the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, with the new money hitting the books next season. With Williams again healthy for every game, Bagent played just 14 snaps this season and just 27 over the last two years.
Case Keenum
Bears quarterback Case Keenum walks the sideline in the third quarter against the Bengals on Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Keenum joined the team on a one-year deal last spring. The Bears brought him to Chicago primarily to serve as a veteran voice and mentor for Williams and Bagent. Keenum will be 38 next season and hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since 2023.
Running back
D’Andre Swift
Bears running back D’Andre Swift scores a touchdown ahead of Browns cornerback Myles Harden in the first quarter Dec. 14, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering final year of three-year, $24 million contract.
What to know: The Bears signed Swift as a free agent in March 2024. He was a relative bargain in the same free-agent class that saw Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry sign big contracts. Swift ran for a career-high 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 in his reunion with Johnson, who was his offensive coordinator in Detroit. If the Bears want to move on from Swift, releasing or trading him would save about $7.5 million against the salary cap.
Kyle Monangai
Bears running back Kyle Monangai celebrates a run against the Rams in the first quarter Jan. 18, 2026, in an NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of rookie contract.
What to know: Monangai, a seventh-round pick, was the 22nd running back selected in the 2025 draft — yet he finished fifth among rookies with 783 rushing yards. After being used sparingly to start the season, Monangai carved out a role as the No. 2 back behind Swift.
Travis Homer
Bears running back Travis Homer (21) celebrates with teammates after a special teams play against the Bengals on Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Homer has been a core special teams player for the Bears for three seasons. He missed seven games because of injuries this season, but in the 10 games in which he did appear, he played 61.5% of special teams snaps.
Wide receiver
DJ Moore
Bears wide receiver DJ Moore makes the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime against the Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering first year of four-year, $110 million extension signed in 2024.
What to know: Moore signed his four-year extension in July 2024 when he had two years remaining on his current deal. That new money still hasn’t hit the books. The extension keeps him under team control through 2029. Per Over The Cap, the Bears are about $4 million over the projected salary cap for 2026. Poles will need to create cap space, and Moore’s contract is a prime candidate for adjustment — either by a restructure or potentially a trade.
Trading Moore could free up $16.5 million in cap space in 2026, plus get his salary off the books for 2027-29. Additionally, $15.5 million of Moore’s 2027 salary becomes guaranteed if he remains on the roster March 13, two days after the new league year begins. If the Bears were to consider moving on from Moore — a big if — they almost certainly would do so before March 13. Moore totaled 50 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns, including an iconic walk-off TD to beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime.
Rome Odunze
Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze celebrates after gaining a first down in the first quarter against the Ravens on Oct. 26, 2025, in Baltimore. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering third year of rookie contract.
What to know: Odunze caught 44 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns in the first 12 games before a foot injury sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season. Like with Williams, the Bears will have to decide a year from now whether to pick up the fifth-year option in Odunze’s rookie contract. But that’s a concern for next year. Odunze remains under contract for at least two more seasons.
Luther Burden III
Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (10) celebrates with tight end Colston Loveland (84) after a touchdown reception in the first quarter against the 49ers on Dec. 28, 2025, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of rookie contract.
What to know: The Bears drafted Burden with the 39th pick last spring. As a rookie, he caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns. His usage in Johnson’s offense increased significantly during the second half of the season, peaking with an eight-catch, 138-yard performance against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.
Olamide Zaccheaus
Bears wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus gains a first down on a catch in the fourth quarter against the Eagles on Nov. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Zaccheaus signed a one-year free-agent contract in March. He caught 39 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns this season, but his playing time dipped as Burden saw more action late in the year.
Devin Duvernay
Bears wide receiver Devin Duvernay returns a kickoff against the Bengals on Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Duvernay served as the primary kickoff and punt returner. Among players with at least 20 kickoff returns, he finished 11th in the league with 26.7 yards per return. He also finished 11th with 11 yards per punt return. He rarely played on offense, totaling 40 snaps for the season.
Jahdae Walker
Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker catches a touchdown pass against the Packers in the fourth quarter Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of rookie contract.
What to know: Walker signed a three-year contract as an undrafted free agent last spring and made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp. Not until late in the season did he get much of a chance to prove himself on offense. He caught six passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-tying touchdown in the Dec. 20 comeback against the Packers.
Tight end
Cole Kmet
Bears tight end Cole Kmet catches the tying touchdown on fourth down in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in front of Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) in an NFC divisional playoff game Jan. 18, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering third year of four-year extension signed in 2023.
What to know: Statistically speaking, Kmet had his least productive season in 2025 with 30 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns. But having multiple threats at tight end is a huge part of what Johnson wants to do on offense, and it’s hard to feed everybody. Kmet still led Bears tight ends in snaps and was second behind Moore in snaps among all pass catchers. He was on the receiving end of one of the most improbable touchdowns of the season in the divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Colston Loveland
Contract status: Entering second year of rookie contract.
What to know: With a strong finish to the season, Loveland led the Bears with 58 receptions and 713 receiving yards. The No. 10 draft pick finished ninth among NFL tight ends in receiving yards. If he goes into next season playing like he did during the final month of this season, he could emerge as one of the league’s biggest threats at tight end.
Durham Smythe
Bears tight end Durham Smythe runs after a catch in the first quarter against the Packers on Dec. 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Smythe signed a one-year deal in free agency last year. Primarily used as a blocker, he played 25% of the Bears offensive snaps and caught four passes for 25 yards.
Offensive line
Darnell Wright
Bears offensive tackle Darnell Wright blocks Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips on a first-quarter running play Nov. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering fourth year of rookie contract; fifth-year option decision due May 1.
What to know: Wright started 16 games at right tackle and earned second-team All-Pro honors. Poles said he saw “steady” improvement out of Wright this season. Wright is under contract for one more season, but the Bears will have to decide this spring whether to pick up the fifth-year option for 2027, which is expected to be just shy of $20 million. In three seasons, Wright has missed just two games because of injuries.
Jonah Jackson
Bears guards Jonah Jackson (73) and Jordan McFadden (74) smile as they walk off the field after defeating the Steelers 31-28 on Nov. 23, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of three-year contract.
What to know: The Bears traded for Jackson in March and extended his contract through 2027. After an injury-shortened season with the Rams in 2024, Jackson played in all 17 games in 2025 and was a rock-solid presence at right guard. With a $19.5 million salary-cap hit next season, Jackson will be the third-highest paid player on the offense behind Moore and Joe Thuney.
Drew Dalman
Bears center Drew Dalman waits to snap the ball in the first quarter against the 49ers on Dec. 28, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of three-year contract.
What to know: The Bears signed Dalman in free agency in March, days after trading for Jackson and Thuney. Dalman was the only player who played every snap for the Bears offense. The Bears had been searching for a reliable center pretty much since Olin Kreutz left the team after the 2010 season. Playing every snap and earning a Pro Bowl nod certainly qualifies Dalman.
Joe Thuney
Bears guard Joe Thuney blocks in the fourth quarter against the Lions on Jan. 4, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of three-year contract.
What to know: The Bears traded for Thuney in March and a few months later extended his contract through 2027. They slotted him in at left guard and he played 99.6% of the offensive snaps, missing only five all season. He even moved out to left tackle in the divisional playoff game against the Rams. Thuney, 33, earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He has missed just two regular-season games in his 10-year NFL career.
Ozzy Trapilo
Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo works to protect quarterback Caleb Williams in the second quarter against the Steelers on Nov. 23, 2025, at Soldier Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of rookie contract.
What to know: The 56th pick in the draft, Trapilo began the year on the bench, working as the sixth lineman in jumbo packages. But by the end of the season he had emerged as a possible solution at left tackle. Trapilo started six games late in the year and appeared in 14 games total. But he required knee surgery after tearing his left patellar tendon during the wild-card win over the Packers. Poles said an injury so late in the season could sideline Trapilo “deep into next year.”
Theo Benedet
Bears left tackle Theo Benedet (79) and the offensive line work to protect quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the third quarter against the Commanders on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Exclusive-rights free agent.
What to know: Benedet started eight games in 2025, seven at left tackle and one at right tackle. Midway through training camp he emerged as a surprise contender for the left tackle job — a job he wound up taking over four games into the season. A quadriceps injury in November opened the door for Trapilo to take the job. The Bears can tender Benedet a one-year contract as an exclusive-rights free agent. If they don’t, he would become an unrestricted free agent.
Braxton Jones
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams runs behind the block of offensive tackle Braxton Jones in the third quarter against the Vikings on Sept. 8, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Jones returned from offseason ankle surgery and began the season as the starting left tackle, but Johnson soon moved to Benedet and then Trapilo. Jones, a fifth-round draft pick in 2022, will be a free agent in March after starting 44 games over four seasons. He appeared in six games this season, starting the first four.
Kiran Amegadjie
Bears offensive tackles Ozzy Trapilo, left, and Kiran Amegadjie during training camp July 28, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering third year of rookie contract.
What to know: Amegadjie made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp but went on injured reserve in September with an elbow injury and did not appear in a game. The 2024 third-round draft pick has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
Jordan McFadden
Bears guard Jordan McFadden takes the field to face the Rams on Jan. 18, 2026, in an NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Restricted free agent.
What to know: McFadden played only two snaps in the regular season, but the Bears asked him to start at left guard in the divisional round against the Rams after moving Thuney to left tackle. With a restricted free agent, the Bears have the right to match any offer McFadden might receive from another team.
Ryan Bates
Bears center Ryan Bates (71) and teammates wait in the tunnel before taking the field for a game against the Bengals on Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
What to know: Bates played in 16 games on special teams but did not play a snap on offense. He was healthy after missing 14 games because of injuries in 2024.
Luke Newman
Bears tackle Theo Benedet (79), running back Kyle Monangai (25), guard Luke Newman (65) and quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) head to the line of scrimmage during a preseason game against the Dolphins on Aug. 10, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Contract status: Entering second year of rookie contract.
What to know: A sixth-round draft pick, Newman appeared in nine games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. The Bears like his potential at both guard and center.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/chicago-bears-roster-breakdown-offense/
