Chicago Bears 2025 free agency updates: Tracking the latest free agency news and notes

The phones started ringing at 11 a.m. Monday as NFL free agency negotiations are set to begin. Teams began negotiating with free agents before the new league year and free agency officially start Wednesday.

After adding offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney in trades last week, the Bears don’t have as much salary cap space as they did to start the offseason. But general manager Ryan Poles still has a little over $43 million left to spend, the 16th-most in the league according to Spotrac.

Here’s the latest free agency news. Stay here all week long, too, for live updates from Halas Hall and across the league.

Cornerback Nick McCloud signs with Bears

The Bears boosted their cornerback room by signing Nick McCloud to a one-year contract on Monday.

McCloud comes to Chicago with four years of experience and has played in 48 games after the signing with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He appeared in 15 games with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers last year and had 11 tackles, with a majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

McCloud will provide depth in the Bears cornerback room behind starters Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson.

Offensive lineman Teven Jenkins signs with Browns

Former Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins signed with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.

The signing ended a four-year stint in Chicago for Jenkins after the Bears drafted him in the second round of the 2021 draft. Jenkins played in 45 games and started 38 over four seasons for the Bears. He started and played in 14 games last season, the most in his career.

Jenkins leaves Chicago after the Bears re-worked the interior of their offensive line with the trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing of Drew Dalman.

Bears sign Devin Duvernay, bring back Travis Homer

The Bears announced Wednesday that they signed veteran wide receiver Devin Duvernay to a one-year contract and brought back running back Travis Homer on a one-year deal.

Both signings provide a boost offensively and on special teams.

Duvernay joins the Bears after the Jacksonville Jaguars released him last week. He’s played in 72 games for the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars over five seasons and was an All-Pro return specialist with the Ravens in 2021 and a two-time Pro Bowler in 2021 and 2022.

Duvernay appeared in 13 games in his lone season with the Jaguars last year. He returned 19 punts for 167 yards, an average of 8.8 yards per return, and 14 kickoffs for 351 yards, an average of 25 yards. Duvernay also caught 11 passes for 79 yards and seven first downs.

Homer is back with the Bears after spending the last couple of seasons with the team. He appeared in 10 games for the Bears last season and had six special teams tackles as part of the Bears' coverage units.

Chicago re-signs Doug Kramer Jr.

The Bears announced that they re-signed offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. to a one-year contract Tuesday.

Kramer, a Hinsdale Central alumnus whom the Bears drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, stays in Chicago after appearing in 16 games with the team last year. As a backup lineman, Kramer played 84 offensive snaps in 10 games for the Bears. Kramer came in as a backup at left guard and center last year.

Kramer will likely stay in a backup role with the Bears this season after a few offseason additions. Bears general manager Ryan Poles traded for offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and also signed center Drew Dalman.

Bears reportedly sign Olamide Zaccheaus

The Bears are adding depth to their wide receivers room after reportedly signing veteran Olamide Zaccheaus. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first to report the signing.

Zaccheaus spent last season with the Washington Commanders where he caught 45 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns. The Atlanta Falcons originally drafted Zaccheaus in 2019 where he played until 2022. Zaccheaus spent his 2023 season with the Philadelphia Eagles

The signing will give quarterback Caleb Williams another target. Keenan Allen, who the Bears traded for last season, has still not signed with a team.

Free agency officially began at 3 p.m. Wednesday

The new year has officially started.

The new league officially started for the NFL at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Deals that were negotiated during the early negotiating period over the previous two days can now become official, as well as any trades that were agreed upon.

The Bears officially announced a few deals at the start of the new year. They announced the trades for offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and the free agent signings of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and tight end Durham Smythe.

Coleman Shelton returns to Rams

Offensive lineman Coleman Shelton is reportedly returning to the Los Angeles Rams after spending one season with the Bears, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Shelton played for the Rams from 2019 to 2023 before the Bears signed him last offseason. He started all 17 games at center for the Bears in 2024 and played 98.8% of the offensive snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Shelton ranked 19th among centers around the league with his pass and run blocking.

Although Shelton improved as the season went along, the Bears wanted to upgrade the interior of their offensive line. The Bears offensive line allowed quarterback Caleb Williams be sacked 68 times this season, the third-most in league history.

They addressed their need at center by signing Atlanta’s Drew Dalman.

Darrell Taylor heading to Texans

Defensive end Darrell Taylor stint with the Bears came to an end after one year Monday when Taylor agreed to terms on a contract with the Houston Texans. Taylor will reportedly sign a one-year, $5.25 million contract according to the NFL Network.

The Bears traded a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for Taylor in August. Taylor made an instant impact to start the season against the Tennessee Titans when he had two sacks and two quarterback hits. In 16 games last season, Taylor finished with three sacks, two forced fumbles and nine quarterback hits.

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett agrees to join Bears

The Bears made their second addition of the day to the defensive line Monday when they agreed to terms with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. The two agreed on a three-year, $43.5 million contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Poles acquired the 31-year-old veteran on the same day the Atlanta Falcons cut the former Pro Bowler. He had been with the Falcons since they drafted him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.

Jarrett comes to Chicago after starting 137 games and playing in 152 over 10 seasons with Atlanta. He started all 17 games last year, the sixth time in his career that he’s started every game in a season.

[ Chicago Bears reportedly boost defensive line by signing Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo ]

Jarrett finished with 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits from the middle of the Falcons defense. He also added 53 tackles, nine for a loss.

The move adds depth to the defensive tackle position for the Bears. Along with Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter, Jarrett should add a boost from the middle of the line for new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

Bears reportedly sign defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo

The Bears added to their defensive line when they agreed to terms with defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo on a three-year, $48 million contract. The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs was the first to report the signing.

Odeyingbo started 19 games and played in 61 during his four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him in the second round of the 2021 draft out of Vanderbilt. He started in 14 games, a career-high, last year and played in all 17 of the Colts' games the last two season.

Odeyingbo finished sixth on the Colts last season with three sacks and added 17 quarterback hits and forced two fumbles. He had 31 total tackles, seven for a loss.

At 25, Odeyingbo joins the Bears defensive line as Poles looks for an edge rusher to play opposite of Montez Sweat. The Bears released DeMarcus Walker three weeks ago and Poles could continue to add at the position in free agency and next month’s draft.

Justin Fields heading to New York Jets

Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields is reportedly heading to New York where he’ll play with the Jets. Fields signed a two-year, $40 million deal, according to NFL Network.

The Bears traded their former 2021 first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason for a sixth-round pick. Poles traded away Fields, whom he inherited from former general manager Ryan Pace, after the Bears earned the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Fields played in 10 games, starting six, for Pittsburgh last season and threw for 1,106 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. The Steelers chose to have Russell Wilson be their starting quarterback during their run to the playoffs, where the lost in the wild card round.

Sam Darnold lands in Seattle

The top quarterback option was taken off the board Monday when the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms with San Darnold. The two agreed on a three-year, $100.5 million contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Darnold leaves the NFC North and the Minnesota Vikings after an impressive comeback season. Minnesota will now likely look to retain Daniel Jones or add another veteran quarterback to pair with Nazareth alumnus J.J. McCarthy as he returns from a torn MCL that kept him from playing during his rookie year.

Bears expected to sign center Drew Dalman

The Bears wasted little time in adding to their offensive line Monday morning and are expected to sign the top center in free agency Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million deal according to the NFL Network. Dalman will be the NFL’s second-highest paid center when he officially signs his deal Wednesday.

Dalman is coming off a season where he impressed when he played. Dalman allowed 13 pressures and two sacks in nine games. He missed eight games last season with a high-ankle sprain.

The Falcons were one of the top rushing teams in the league with Dalman manning the center position. Atlanta averaged 130.5 rushing yards per game, led by top back Bijan Robinson, and 2,219 total rushing yards.

[ Chicago Bears expected to sign top center Drew Dalman to 3-year, $42 million deal ]

Dalman started 40 games and played in 57 since the Atlanta Falcons drafted him in the fourth round in 2021. He became the team’s starting center in 2022.

The signing is another addition in a complete makeover of the offensive line. Poles has now added three likely starting interior offensive linemen in a week with the additions of him, Thuney and Jackson.

Haason Reddick heading to Buccaneers

A top pass rusher was off the board a few minutes after the legal tampering period started Monday morning. Haason Reddick reportedly signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Reddick was one of the league’s edge rushers with the Philadelphia Eagles before the Jets traded for Reddick in April. He request a trade from his new team in August and missed the team’s first six games of the year. He finished the year with one sack and three quarterback hits in 10 games.

Reddick was an option for Poles to sign and put on the defensive line opposite of Sweat. Now Poles will need to look elsewhere for a pass rusher.

Khalil Mack re-signs with Chargers

A Bears-Khalil Mack reunion won’t happen after Mack re-signed with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday before the start of the legal tampering period. Mack reportedly signed a one-year, $18 million deal.

A reunion between the two seemed possible as Poles will try to add a defensive end to put opposite of Sweat during the offseason. Mack came off his third straight Pro Bowl season where he had six sacks and 15 quarterback hits to go along with 39 tackles.

Mack originally played for the Bears from 2018 to 2021. Former Bears general manager Ryan Pace made a splash in 2018 when he traded a couple first-round draft picks as well as a third- and sixth-round pick for Mack.

During his time with the Bears, Mack made an instant impact during his first year and a half before injuries held him back. Mack was a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler in Chicago and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his first season in Chicago in 2018.

Poles traded Mack to the Chargers in 2022 for a second- and sixth-round pick as he took over and tried to replenish his draft capital. He’ll now try to add to his defensive line both in free agency and in the draft.

What have the Bears already done before free agency?

Poles didn’t wait for the start of free agency to begin addressing the Bears' biggest need of the offseason: offensive linemen.

He first traded a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday for veteran offensive lineman Jonah Jackson. The next day, Poles made another major move when he sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Neither deal cannot be official until Wednesday.

The moves showed Poles' dedication to building an offensive line that can protect quarterback Caleb Williams. It also might indicate what he thinks of the offensive linemen set to hit the free agent market.

The NFL salary cap will increase by $23.8 million compared to last year, giving teams ample money to negotiate with free agents. That could create “bidding wars” for free agents that Poles might not want to take part in.

Poles signed tight end Durham Smythe on Thursday and re-signed special teams ace Josh Blackwell and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga each to new two-year deals. He also decided to not tender Lake Zurich-native linebacker Zach Sanborn and allow him to test free agency.

Who will the Bears target in free agency?

Since taking over as general manager in 2022, Poles has shown a willingness to spend money but also be selective.

In 2023, he signed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (four years, $72 million), linebacker TJ Edwards (three years, $19.5 million), defensive end DeMarcus Walker (three years, $21 million) and guard Nate Davis (three years, $30 million). Walker and Davis are no longer with the team.

Last offseason, Poles surprised some when he opened the negotiating period by signing running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24.5 million deal. He also signed tight end Gerald Everett, who is no longer with the team, and traded for wide receiver Keenan Allen.

Despite the additions on the offensive line last week, Poles will likely still try to add to the group. Both Poles and new Bears head coach Ben Johnson emphasized the importance of having depth at the position. He’ll also look to add to the defensive line and wide receivers group.

Here’s a look at the Bears' top positions of need heading into free agency.

Who are the top free agents?

Conversations in the NFL always start with the quarterback position and that will be the case this offseason, even if there aren’t too many top options.

Sam Darnold will be the top target for many teams that need a quarterback after a strong comeback season. The Minnesota Vikings decided not to use the franchise or transition tag him.

Other available quarterbacks will be former Bear Justin Fields, former Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers as well as Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

The most robust markets will be at cornerback and wide receiver. Detroit’s Carlton Davis, San Francisco’s Charvarius Ward, the New York Jets' D.J. Reed and the Vikings' Bryon Murphy are all top cornerback options. Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin, Buffalo’s Amari Cooper and Houston’s Stefon Diggs headline a deep wide receivers group.

The defensive end market also features plenty of top talent looking for a pass rusher. The Philadelphia Eagles' Josh Sweat will be on the top of everyone’s list after he won a Super Bowl in February. Teams can also choose from Haason Reddick (New York Jets) and Khalil Mack (Los Angeles Chargers), to name a few.