The Chicago Bears aren’t the only team that have made a handful of big moves this offseason, but it’s fair to say that the Bears have made the biggest moves. As in, in terms of mass, the Bears have acquired well over 1,000 lbs. of talent in the last week. It started with a pair of trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, which they followed up with the signing of top free agent center Drew Dalman. Now on the opposite side of the ball, the Bears have begun to bulk up, signing 288 lb. defensive tackle Grady Jarrett away from the Atlanta Falcons.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal with the two-time Pro Bowler is for $43.5 million over the next three years with $28.5 million of that guaranteed.
Chicago’s emphasis on beefing up both their offensive and defensive lines makes since for multiple reasons. First and foremost, these were the two biggest areas of weakness coming out of a disappointing 2024 campaign. Second, given how consistently the Eagles dominated in the trenches on their way to a Super Bowl 59 title, it makes sense that any time looking to facilitate a similar run of success would mimic how Howie Roseman built the Eagles.
In addition to Jarrett, who finished the 2024 season with 53 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, the Bears also signed former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million deal to presumably start opposite of Montez Sweat. Odeyingbo led the Colts in both pressures (33) and QB hits (17) in 2024, and posted a career high eight sacks during the 2023 season. Coming into the day, it appeared as if there was a reunion with Khalil Mack in the works, but ultimately, Mack re-signed with the Chargers on a one-year deal.
With most of their cap space now exhausted, general manager Ryan Poles will now need to pivot to moves around the margins until April 24th, when the Bears will pick 10th in the opening round of the NFL Draft.
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