Bears face big free agent decisions

It’s time for the Bears to move on.

Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles will spend the offseason looking to make moves to help the Bears take another big step next season.

Some of the key decisions will be what to do with the free agents on their roster. The Bears will likely have to make some tough salary cap decisions and won’t franchise tag any of their free agents.

Teams can start negotiating with unrestricted free agents on March 9 and officially sign players on March 11 when the new league starts. Here’s a look at three key players on the Bears’ roster who are set to become free agents next month.

Kevin Byard

Byard was one of four safeties on the Bears roster who entered 2025 on the last year of their contract with something to prove. He did so and more as Byard showed he can be an impact player even as he entered the second half of his career.

Byard was a leader for a secondary that helped the defense lead the league in takeaways and interceptions. He led the NFL with a career-high seven interceptions while playing at 32 years old. That strong play earned Byard his third All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

It happened as Byard invested time in the film room to create those turnovers. Byard studied quarterbacks’ tendencies to make up for any physical parts of his games that might’ve slowed down.

Now the Bears need to decide whether to bring back Byard. There likely won’t be a top-dollar market even after Byard’s career year because of his age. Both parties were open to a reunion at the end of the season and both would likely be open to a return if it made sense for both sides.

Nahshon Wright

Not much was expected when the Bears signed Wright to a one-year contract last offseason. Chicago was Wright’s third team in five years and he came to the team because of a previous relationship with Bears defensive backs/passing game coordinator Al Harris.

But Wright stepped in when the Bears needed him to and lived up to his potential when he started in place for injured Jaylon Johnson for most of the season. His length helped him haul in a career-high five interceptions, which tied for second in the NFL. Wright also forced two fumbles, none more memorable than against the Philadelphia Eagles on a “tush push” play. He earned his first Pro Bowl honor.

It will be interesting to see what Wright’s market looks like in free agency. Wright finally showed that he could create turnovers, but opponents also picked on him at times in coverage for big gains.

Even with that, Wright is likely in store for a big payday in free agency. Given what the Bears have with the return of Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson, along with the uncertainty of Zah Frazier, who missed his entire rookie season for personal reasons, it seems unlikely the Bears would pay up to keep Wright.

Jaquan Brisker

Brisker was another Bears safety who had something to prove in a contract year. His was for a different reason, though.

The major question heading into the season for Brisker was whether he could play an entire season. Brisker failed to do so during his first two seasons and then missed the last 12 games of 2024 because of a concussion. It was the latest in a few diagnosed concussions Brisker suffered during his career.

Brisker proved he could stay on the field by playing in every game for the first time in his career. He flashed the potential of his draft status as a former second-round pick. Brisker finished the season with one interception and sack, ending the year with his best game in the NFC divisional round.

Those flashes could price Brisker out of the Bears’ offseason budget. Brisker said he was open to returning. But if another team pays into Brisker’s upside, it might be too much for the Bears to afford given their other roster needs.