Dec 23, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (26) enters the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears are in a weird place. For the first time in over a decade, it feels like their identity is on the offensive side of the ball. Head coach Ben Johnson has that unit playing exceptionally well in recent weeks, ranking in the top 10 in every major category. Caleb Williams is improving at quarterback. They are one of the best rushing teams in the league. It is exciting stuff. Unfortunately, this coincides with a defense that is besieged by injuries. Three starters are on Injured Reserve: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Dayo Odeyingbo. Others like Shemar Turner, Dominique Robinson, and Terell Smith are also on the shelf.
It’s been showing on the field as the defense allowed 42 points last week in Cincinnati. Dennis Allen needs help. GM Ryan Poles tried getting him some at the trade deadline, bringing in veteran pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from Cleveland. Though he isn’t a gamebreaker, he should be able to shore up Chicago’s razor-thin depth. Now it appears Poles might not be done. Ian Rapoport revealed that the Bears are showing considerable interest in free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who has recently been cleared from spinal fusion surgery.
Samuel Jr. would be a big help for the Chicago Bears.
Injuries have decimated their cornerback room. It got so bad that they had to sign C.J. Gardner-Johnson to fill the slot cornerback role, even though he’s traditionally more of a safety. Samuel Jr. was one of the better nickel corners in the NFL between 2021 and 2023, snagging nine interceptions. The back injury wiped out most of his 2024 season, and he’s been recovering ever since. Nobody knows if he will be the same player from a few years ago, but the risk is worth it.
If Samuel has some of that old form, he would instantly help stabilize the Chicago Bears’ back end. His ability to create turnovers would also be an excellent fit in Allen’s scheme. Once Johnson and Gordon return, the Bears could have a foursome, along with Tyrique Stevenson, that could be formidable. That is without mentioning Gardner-Johnson, Jaquan Brisker, and Kevin Byard. The obvious obstacle is the list of other teams interested in his services as well.
Aug 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) walks back to the dugout during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
By September, industry speculation suggested Kyle Tucker’s regression would bring him into the Chicago Cubs‘ range in free agency. The 28-year-old outfielder enters free agency as the No. 1 available player and while his 2025 season was underwhelming, current projects remain quite optimistic that Tucker will indeed land a huge contract.
The Cubs are nearing a decade since signing Jason Heyward to a $184 million contract, the richest deal in franchise history. Dansby Swanson signed a seven-year, $177 million deal heading into the 2023 season and at this point of the offseason it doesn’t appear as though either of those two contracts are in danger of being topped by the Cubs. That calculous includes Tucker, who many experts believe will get upwards of $460 million from someone in free agency.
That’s right, if you thought that Tucker’s 22 home runs, .841 OPS and second-half struggles was going to damage his value, then think again. Here are some early contract projections and predictions for Tucker in free agency.
Kyle Tucker Contract Projections Tim Britton (The Athletic): 12 years, $460 million ($38.33 million AAV) Jim Bowden (The Athletic): 10 years, $427 million ($42.7 million AAV) (Baseball America): 11 years, $360 million ($32.73 million AAV)
That last figure from Baseball America is substantially lower than the other two projections and here’s why I do buy the higher range. Tim Britton has done a great job coming up with free agent comps for several years at The Athletic and his breakdown of Tucker’s potential deal makes a lot of sense.
The Guerrero deal is especially helpful, as it removes a comparable bat from this winter’s market and sets a very sturdy baseline for valuing Tucker. Given how his production compares to Guerrero’s at the time of the extension, Tucker should be able to argue that a $35.7 million average annual value is his floor. But how close can Tucker get to the $40 million-plus AAVs of Soto, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani?
In Guerrero’s deal, you can see a kind of crude math: No, he’s not Soto, but his production was about two-thirds of Soto’s, and so the contract valued him at about two-thirds of Soto’s deal. In Tucker’s case, he’s been about 75 percent as valuable as Soto in the three and five years leading up to free agency. Seventy-five percent of Soto’s $51 million AAV would be just over $38 million per season. Spread that through Tucker’s age-40 season — the length Soto and Guerrero each secured — and you get a 12-year, $460 million deal.
Circling back to the Cubs, even if Tucker’s market doesn’t get to that level, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers continues to indicate what he’s been saying all year long, the Cubs won’t be anywhere near the Tucker sweepstakes this winter.
What is the early word on top free agent hitters Kyle Tucker and Kyle Schwarber?
Jeff Passan: Tucker falls in that interesting bucket where he will rightly demand a contract in excess of $300 million, but the number of teams willing to pay that will limit his options. The Dodgers and Giants make sense, as do the Phillies.
Jesse Rogers: The Cubs are likely going to let Tucker walk while the Phillies haven’t closed the door on a reunion with Schwarber. Chicago has more budget constraints than Philadelphia, meaning the Cubs probably don’t want to tie up $35-40 million on one player.
Despite the slump during the final 2.5 months in the regular season Tucker still put up a 136 wRC+ and 4.5 fWAR in 2025, while leading the Cubs with a .377 OBP, more than 30 points better than the next best hitter.
No matter how the Cubs frame their decision on Tucker, which again seems like they’ll waive goodbye, there’s no doubt that he’ll be tough to replace in the lineup starting in 2026. If it’s not Tucker, the Cubs absolutely have to add an impact bat or they’ll go back to being a mediocre club on offense.
Nov 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Chicago Bears fans had been hungry for it since the season began. They wanted to see why the Chicago Bears felt compelled to spend a top 10 draft pick on Colston Loveland. Teams don’t usually use high selections on non-premium positions like that. They got their answer on Sunday in Cincinnati when Loveland torched the Bengals for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The signature moment of course was his 58-yard catch and run that put the Bears ahead with 17 seconds left in the 4th quarter after the team had squandered a 14-point lead.
It was pure heroics on Loveland’s part. The fact that he did it as a rookie made it all the more impressive. What Bears fans didn’t know at the time was it was also historic. Loveland was declared the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. A press release revealed that this was the first time since 2002 that a rookie tight end has claimed the honor. Jeremy Shockey was the last one. Loveland is also only the third Bears rookie in history to win it, joining Jordan Howard and Anthony Thomas.
Colston Loveland beat out some incredible names.
Think about that. The past 27 years encompass the careers of Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, George Kittle, and Jimmy Graham. None of them managed to win the award as rookies. What Colston Loveland just did is incredibly rare and a testament to the impact he had on his team’s fortunes. Even funnier? It came in the first game of his career, where he had more than five targets. Bears fans had been screaming for weeks to get him more involved.
The first time Chicago does it, he rewrites the record book—just another addition to what has been a crazy season for this team. One thing is certain. After seeing what happened, it’s almost certain the Bears will make sure to get Loveland the ball a lot more moving forward. He has all the tools to be a difference-maker. Now the team has seen it up close.
Aug 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) catches a fly ball hit by Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Ever since Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a Chicago Cubs uniforms fans had one simple request, just hit a little. It’s kind of crazy how much hype there was surrounding PCA’s defense when he was in the minor leagues and yet in his first full season in MLB he not only lived up to those ridiculous expectations, he blew them away.
Oh and by the way, the 23-year-old also hit 31 home runs and stole 35 bases, ending the year with a 5.4 fWAR, the highest value for the Cubs in 2025. Oh, oh, and another thing! Back to the defense as Crow-Armstrong led all MLB outfielders with 19 five-star catches. That might not mean much to you, but by comparison the guy who finished second was Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu, who had nine.
What’s even crazier about PCA’s highlight reel is that he had more five-star catches than 28 of 29 teams had as a whole, individually. He tripled the average amount that each team made.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had more 5-star catches this season than 28 of 29 MLB teams this season (excluding Cubs).
Crow-Armstrong was named the 2025 Gold Glove Winner in center field for the National League in what should be the first of many defensive awards to come his way.
That puts PCA on an incredible list of players who have hit 30+ home runs, stole 30+ bases and won a gold glove in a single season, including Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Barry Larkin, plus Barry Bonds among other legends of the game.
30 HR, 30 SB & Gold Glove 1957 Mays 1973 Bo. Bonds 1983 Dale Murphy 1987 E. Davis 1990, 1992, 1996, 1997 Ba. Bonds 1996 B. Larkin 1997 Mondesi 1997 L. Walker 2007 J. Rollins 2007 D. Wright 2008 Sizemore 2011 Kemp 2011 Ellsbury 2018 Betts 2024 Witt Jr. 2025 Crow-Armstrong
Yes, Crow-Armstrong floundered at the plate in the second half, but you still have to look at the totality of his season and it will go down as one of the best individual seasons in not only Cubs history, but MLB history as well. Not bad for a guy who only had to hit a little to become a valuable player. Sky’s the limit with PCA.
Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson (11) celebrates a defensive stop in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears didn’t make a splash at the NFL trade deadline. It wasn’t for lack of trying. GM Ryan Poles wasn’t naive. He knew his team needed help on defense, especially the defensive line. He’d been working the phones for days, trying to find a deal that made sense. It got close. Word came out that they were deep in talks with the New York Jets about former 1st round pick Jermaine Johnson. It made sense. The Jets were clearly in sell mode after dealing away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. However, the talks became bogged down when New York wouldn’t budge from their asking price of a 2nd round pick.
As it turns out, there was an extra wrinkle involved. A source informed SM that the Jets were trying to get sneaky in talks. They kept pushing to include running back Breece Hall in the talks regarding Johnson. They felt that doing this would justify them asking for a 1st round pick in return. That was their endgame. Poles didn’t feel any need to want Hall after watching Kyle Monangai gash Cincinnati for 176 yards a few days prior. The Bears held firm on their offer for Johnson and Johnson only.
New York got cold feet.
Jermaine Johnson wasn’t worth that level of commitment.
While he and Breece Hall are good players, neither is great. First round picks must be reserved for what you feel will be great players. Chicago developed a bad habit over the past decade of dealing away those picks for proven veterans. It didn’t work out too well. Poles, for all the grief he gets, is smart enough to avoid doing that. He’s been keeping his 1st round picks since taking over and has done a pretty good job converting them into quality young talent.
Darnell Wright
Caleb Williams
Rome Odunze
Colston Loveland
Jermaine Johnson is not nearly good enough to justify interrupting that pipeline, even with Hall included. It was the right decision by the Bears. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka might not be a star, but he was inexpensive and provides solid enough depth to survive until reinforcements arrive in a few weeks. Then they can spend the 2026 offseason bringing in real help.
Apr 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) reacts during the national anthem before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
If someone had said that the Chicago Bulls would have started the 2025-26 campaign with a 6-1 record, many would think they were in a dream. Sportsbooks had the team at 32.5 wins on the year, more likely to grab the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft than to make the playoffs. They’ve been underdogs in five of their first seven outings, yet have somehow come away with only one loss and remain undefeated in the United Center. This should bring happy news all around, right? For one player, it might not all be good news.
Coby White has been a fan-favorite in Chicago since his arrival. He’s shown clear improvements each year, and when Zach LaVine went down to injury two seasons ago, he blossomed as a potential star. That season, he was robbed of the league’s Most Improved Player award after his gigantic leap in production. With the current group rolling at full speed, where does he fit in the equation?
Coach Donovan on a timeline for Coby White (calf):
A similar example to Chicago’s predicament was seen on the opposing sideline last night. Jared McCain was one of the most electric rookies in the league last season, but missed the beginning of this year due to injury. In his absence, VJ Edgecombe has been excellent. Primarily due to a minutes restriction to integrate him back into regular action, McCain came off the bench in favor of Edgecombe tonight. With Philadelphia firing on all cylinders and the rookie putting up over 20 points per night on incredible efficiency, can they pivot back to McCain, or ride the hot hand? With the Bulls playing the best basketball seen in Chicago in the last decade, will White’s addition elevate or imbalance the current flow?
Most Think He Will Push Chicago To Contention
Keep in mind that the suggestion that White’s job is in jeopardy upon his return is a hypothetical scenario, playing devil’s advocate. He’s been one of the elite scorers on the team over the last few seasons, stretches the floor like nobody else on this roster, and can hang 30 or more points with ease, unlike anyone else on the team. Surely, he will fit right in. However, this team has been built on defensive switches, physicality, and ball movement on offense. While he is a willing passer and a great playmaker, he will be a ball-dominant player that Chicago hasn’t featured yet this year. Outside of Josh Giddey, most of the roster operates best away from the rock.
When Coby White returns, the team will have to readjust. But let’s be real: you’re going to need a nuclear scorer like Coby when the elite Western teams come calling. He’s the only Bull who bends a defense 35 feet from the hoop. His return won’t hurt — it’ll make everyone better. pic.twitter.com/MtGdaXliQy
The only hesitation to thinking that White will be nothing but positive for a group that is playing their best basketball right now is the lack of system fit. His defense will be among the weakest on the court, his offensive style thrives better with the ball in his hands, and his quantity of shot attempts creates caution. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged over seven three-point attempts per night, whereas this group has nobody shooting over five per night, with six players shooting over four. He has also attempted over 15 field goals per game, and only Giddey currently has that volume. The team has six players taking eight or more shots per contest. Adding such a tremendous offensive volume player, with a weak defensive presence, might cause a shockwave to the current machine.
Will adding Coby White back put the Chicago Bulls in true contention talks, or will trying to force his game onto this unit throw things into disarray?
Oct 2, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge (59) throws during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge finished the 2025 season tied for the second most saves for the Chicago Cubs and although that number was only five, they all came down the stretch as the Cubs were trying to clinch their first real playoff berth since 2018. Kittredge was by far the team’s best trade deadline acquisition and became a key member in Craig Counsell’s bullpen entering the postseason, but he won’t be back with the Cubs in 2026.
Kittredge had a club option worth $9 million for next season that also included a $1 million buyout. On Tuesday, the Cubs traded the right-handed reliever back to the Baltimore Orioles, who dealt him to Chicago back in July.
The Cubs are now off the hook for the $9 million option and although it wasn’t detailed the cash saved was most likely the $1 million buyout that the Orioles exchanged.
Kittredge made 23 relief appearances with the Cubs after he was traded and he was better than the 3.32 ERA that he recorded in 21.1 innings. Four of the eight earned runs that he allowed came in one game. Kittredge was a workhorse in the postseason, as he pitched in all three of the team’s Wild Card round games against the San Diego Padres and then made two more appearances in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The veteran was on the mound and recorded the final out against the Padres, clinching the first playoff series win for the Cubs since 2017.
Besides Kittredge, Shōta Imanaga’s declined options were also a huge storyline for the Cubs this week. The left-handed starter is now a free agent. Still no word if the Cubs will offer the Japanese pitcher the qualifying offer.
Colin Rea and Justin Turner are the other two players that have options attached to them heading into 2026.
(Previous Update)
It was crazy to think about the Chicago Cubs at the start of 2025, but as we recently discussed that no longer seems like the team’s obvious choice. Instead, there’s a chance that Imanaga either pitches for the Cubs in 2026 on a one-year deal or he becomes a free agent and goes off elsewhere. We’ll keep an eye on that decision, but the Cubs have a handful of other options that they must decide on as the offseason kicks off following the World Series.
Justin Turner, Colin Rea and Andrew Kittredge are the other players who could potentially return to the Cubs in 2026 based on options to their contracts besides Imanaga. Let’s take a look at who will most likely return to least likely.
Most Likely to Return: Colin Rea
The Cubs signed veteran righty Colin Rea and most fans weren’t too pleased as the then 34-year-old ended up being the final pitcher added to the starting mix heading into the 2025 season. While the numbers weren’t overwhelming and there were certainly different times throughout the year that Rea wasn’t competitive, his signing came out as a win for the front office.
Justin Steele, Javier Assad and Imanaga all missed significant time with injury in 2025, while rising prospect Brandon Birdsell was also shut down for most of the year with a shoulder issue. The Cubs needed Rea to step up and he did as the veteran recorded a 3.95 ERA in 159.1 innings. That’ll definitely do at the back end of the starting rotation and out of Rea’s 27 starts he allowed three runs or fewer in 19 of them.
Rea finished the season strong, posting a 3.56 ERA in his last 86 innings on the mound.
Not bad to have as your fifth starter in case of emergency. So, the Cubs will most likely pick up a $6 million player option to bring Rea back for the 2026 season. If they don’t, the Cubs will pay a $750,000 buyout to Rea.
50/50: Andrew Kittredge
Veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge ended up being the best trade deadline move by the Cubs. He had one brutal appearance early on with the Cubs after he joined the bullpen, but overall Kittredge was great for Craig Counsell in the final two months of the regular season. Eventually, Kittredge became the team’s closer after Daniel Palencia went on the injured list in September.
In 23 games with the Cubs Kittredge posted a 3.32 ERA with an incredible 32/3 strikeout to walk ratio in 21.1 innings. The right-hander had 15 holds and five saves out of the bullpen and has pretty much been recording solid numbers since 2020.
However, we know the Cubs don’t necessarily like to spend big chunks of payroll on relievers and they may be more adverse to paying an aging reliever after the disasters that were Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly the past two years. Kittredge hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down as he’s entered his mid-30s, but I guess his shaky performance in the postseason could raise a red flag.
He’ll be 36-years-old in 2026, and if the Cubs pick up his option, then that will be a $9 million commitment. If not, the Cubs will pay a $1 million buyout to Kittredge. I can see arguments either way on Kittredge, but given the team’s history and plethora of free agent relievers, I do think they’ll move on from the veteran this offseason.
Justin Turner
Yeah, this one is pretty easy, the Cubs are not going to pay soon to be 41-year-old Justin Turner $10 million to return in 2026. This is actually a mutual option, which was pretty much used by the Cubs to break up Turner’s guaranteed money over two years. He earned $4 million in 2025, and will get another $2 million as part of a buyout for 2026.
The veteran bat had a brutal start to the year, but eventually his numbers against left-handed pitching justified his presence on the club. Turner slashed .276/.330/.429, in 109 plate appearances vs. LHP, as he got most of his playing time filling in for Michael Busch at first base against southpaws.
Turner was also praised for his leadership in the clubhouse and the guidance he gave to younger players, especially Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s get this out of the way: if you thought Ryan Poles was going to light up the 2025 trade deadline like it was Black Friday at Halas Hall, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. This deadline wasn’t about making splashy moves or trying to snatch a Wild Card berth with duct tape and wishful thinking. It was about looking yourself in the mirror, realizing your cap is cooked, your roster’s still a few studs short, and playing the long damn game.
Welcome to grown-man football decisions.
The One Move That Mattered: Tryon-Shoyinka, a.k.a. Emergency Depth
The Bears’ only deadline acquisition? Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Yep, that guy. Former first-rounder, pass-rushing underachiever, now on his third team. Chicago snagged him from Cleveland for pocket change — basically a scratch-off ticket hoping to hit $20. Don’t get it twisted: this wasn’t some sneaky genius move. This was damage control after the edge room got absolutely wrecked by injuries.
Dayo Odeyingbo blew his Achilles, Shemar Turner’s ACL snapped, Dominique Robinson is hobbling around with an ankle, and suddenly your “rotation” is Montez Sweat and Austin Booker. Well enter Tryon-Shoyinka, who played 6% of Cleveland’s snaps this year and has been more bark than bite his whole career. He’s not a savior — he’s a Band-Aid.
Austin Booker Changed Everything
Now here’s where things get interesting. Second-year edge Austin Booker popped off against the Bengals — 90.0 PFF grade, strip-sack, chaos all day. That performance flipped the trade calculus. Why overpay for Jaelan Phillips or Trey Hendrickson when you’ve maybe already got your guy in-house?
Booker showing out meant Poles could hold onto precious draft picks instead of burning them for rentals. That kind of restraint takes balls, especially with a fanbase foaming at the mouth for relevance.
Cap Situation: Bro, We’re Broke
Let’s talk money — or lack thereof. The Bears have $7.49 million in 2025 cap space, which in NFL terms is like finding $2.75 in your couch cushions. It gets worse: 2026 is projected to be negative $2.86 million. That’s right, negative. They’ve already maxed out with extensions for Joe Thuney and a heavy investment in the offensive line.
Remember when we thought having $120M last offseason meant a spending spree every year? Yeah, reality hit. Now Poles has to hope for rollover funds or start restructuring like an accountant on meth.
Chicago Bears 2025 Cap Space in comparison to the League Average.
Draft Picks = Gold Bars
Chicago came into the deadline with the standard seven draft picks for 2026. That’s it. No surplus to play with, and trading below that threshold would be idiotic. You’re building around Caleb Williams, not trying to rent a pass rusher for a maybe-playoff run.
Philadelphia and Jacksonville pushed in chips. The Bears held theirs. Why? Because Ryan Poles actually understands what he’s building.
The Moves They Didn’t Make
EDGE: Too Damn Expensive
Jaelan Phillips went to Philly for a third. Bears sniffed around.
Bengals wanted a first for Trey Hendrickson. Get real.
Jets asked for a second for Jermaine Johnson. “WTF”
Dre’Mont Jones and Bradley Chubb? Meh. Injury baggage, big cap hits.
CORNER: CJGJ Is Your Answer (For Now)
Jaylon Johnson’s out with core muscle surgery. Kyler Gordon’s hurt too. Tyrique Stevenson’s shoulder might fall off. It’s a MASH unit in the secondary.
Instead of dealing assets, Poles grabbed C.J. Gardner-Johnson off the street. Yeah, he’s a loudmouth with a trail of broken relationships, but he’s also a two-time champ and knows Dennis Allen’s system. You don’t give up picks for Band-Aids when you’ve got dudes coming back in a few weeks — especially when one of those dudes just balled out on Sunday and showed exactly why he belongs. That kind of instant impact reminds you why patience beats panic trades every damn time.
Offense: The Reason Nobody’s Panicking
Ben Johnson has turned this offense into something real. Caleb Williams is developing on schedule. 1,916 yards, 12 TDs, 4 INTs, a 93.5 rating — and oh yeah, he caught a touchdown too. Ben Johnson is a mastermind.
DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, rookie Colston Loveland, and Kyle Monangai make this one of the most balanced, dangerous units in the league. They’re 10th in scoring, 9th in total offense, and Top 5 in rushing yards per attempt.
Johnson’s running a system that actually helps his QB — pre-snap motion, creative spacing, two-TE looks. The O-line hasn’t really had issues, and the scheme is giving them enough breathing room to function.
Defense: Yikes
Dennis Allen’s unit is leaking points like a sieve:
28th in scoring D
25th in passing yards allowed
26th in pressure rate
Montez Sweat? Fine, not elite. 4 sacks, decent pressure rate, but he’s not taking over games. Secondary? Injury apocalypse. Pass rush? Nonexistent without blitzing. This is the side of the ball that needs an offseason overhaul.
So What Now?
The Bears are 5-3, staring down a hellish back-half schedule: Eagles, Packers twice, 49ers, and Lions again. NFL.com gives them a 27% shot at the playoffs. It’s a coin flip at best.
That’s why Poles didn’t go shopping. Because this season ain’t about 2025 — it’s about positioning for 2026.
The Real Window: 2026-2028
Caleb Williams will be in Year 3. Cap space gets freed up. You hit on the draft, maybe grab a mid-tier FA corner, restructure some deals, and suddenly you’ve got:
A top-5 offense
A rebuilt, competent defense
A quarterback on a rookie deal
That’s when you push the chips in. That’s your window.
Final Verdict
Poles didn’t flinch. He didn’t reach. He didn’t buy into the illusion that this year is the year. Because it’s not. It’s a foundation year. Does that mean that this team can make a nice run like the Commanders did last year? Of course not. But lets keep it a 100, the real fireworks come next spring.
This trade deadline wasn’t about now. It was about not screwing up what’s next. And for the first time in forever, the Bears might finally be doing this the smart way.
First, I always like the Chicago Bears. But this is actually a good match-up.
(1) The most disappointing unit in the NFL, for me, has been the Giants defensive line. How can a team with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence be midtable in the sack category? (Coaching?) And not only that, but the Giants also have the second-worst run defense in the league. The Bears should be able to control this game at the line of scrimmage, keep down and distance manageable, and put those pass rushers on their heels. It would be surprising if the offensive success does not continue.
(2) The Bears will struggle against top receiver groups, and that was certainly obvious in Cincinnati. Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson are not that. I expect Dennis Allen to be a bit more conservative Sunday, sit his safeties deep, and force Jaxson Dart to hit the mid-range throw consistently. Don’t be surprised if Kevin Byard baits the rookie quarterback into a pivotal mistake or two.
(3) The Bears are 2-1 at home, with a point differential of +26. The Giants are 0-5 on the road, with a point different of -49. Sometimes, football is just that simple, and the Giants don’t have the same Dart-infused energy since Nabers and Skattebo went down with season-ending injuries.
Rome Odunze has been the Chicago Bears‘ best wide receiver this season with 473 yards and five touchdowns. He was great in Baltimore with seven catches for 114 yards. However, things didn’t quite go as planned last week in Cincinnati. Odunze failed to make a catch, getting blanked for the first time in his career. Thankfully, the Bears got huge contributions from other players, particularly tight end Colston Loveland. Still, that frustrating afternoon didn’t sit well with at least one notable person.
One fan called out the Bears for not getting Odunze the ball more, even suggesting they trade him if they won’t use him. James Odunze, Rome’s father, seemed to agree with that statement.
Needless to say, given the nature of social media, this caused controversy. Despite Odunze being the most targeted player on the roster this season, some wondered if he was somehow frustrated with his role. That or his father was stirring the pot for no reason. The Bears seemed to feel it was the latter, and they decided to fire a shot in response. They put up a video of Odunze mic’d up during the Bengals game, where he looked outstanding as a blocker. The title of the video was one word.
However, head coach Ben Johnson said that sometimes a game plan necessitates the ball going elsewhere. Such was the case against Cincinnati. The Bengals used their best cornerback, D.J. Turner, to shadow Rome Odunze all over the field. Rather than force-feed the ball to him anyway, Johnson decided to spread it elsewhere. Loveland, D.J. Moore, and Olamide Zaccheaus all took advantage. You can’t fault the logic. Chicago scored 47 points. Don’t be surprised if the Bears come back around to Rome this week against the New York Giants.
That is football. It is a team sport. Sometimes, your best players can’t have as much impact on the game as they would like. It doesn’t mean the team hates them. It means others must pick up the slack. Odunze could’ve easily gotten frustrated and moped about it. Instead, he threw all of that energy into making the Bengals pay on the ground. That is what good teammates do. Kudos to the team for defending itself in this instance.
