The Chicago Bears finally had the kind of success in 2025 that the team had been hoping to have for years. They went from worst to first in the NFC North. They beat the archrival Green Bay Packers in 2 of their 3 meetings, including once in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They found both their coach and their quarterback of the present and future.
Those are big accomplishments that general manager can feel good about as the Bears create their plan for the 2026 season. However, as satisfying as the last year was for the Bears and their fans, there are major issues for general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson.
The Bears are no longer in an advantageous position with regards to the salary cap. Instead of having the room to add key players as they had in each of the last 3 seasons, the Bears are more than $5 million over the salary cap this year, according to OverTheCap.com. They have multiple high-priced players that Poles may have to part company with to make the team salary-cap compliant.
This is a situation that multiple teams find themselves in on an every-year basis. There are 11 teams this offseason that are over the cap and have to become cap compliant — including the Packers and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.
The Bears are going to have make multiple moves with their roster in order to become salary-cap compliant and remain in a strong position in the NFC. The Bears did not build a team to this point in order to have one excellent season and then return to the level of the als0-rans in the NFL.
Bears must bring in free agents — and get rid of high-priced players
The plan during the offseason has to involve paring some of the higher-salaried players from the roster and then replacing them with lower-salaried players without losing any effectiveness. Talented players are going to have to be cut, and that makes this a far more challenging offseason than building a winning team when there is plenty of salary-cap room.
D.J. Moore has been the team's primary go-to receiver since he was acquired from the Carolina Panthers in a 2023 trade. When the Bears were struggling in his first two seasons, Moore was a beacon of hope for their coaching staff and quarterbacks.
However, after catching 96 and 98 passes in 2023 and '24 respectively, his numbers went down considerably in '25. Moore caught 50-682-6 and he was no longer the team's dominant pass catcher. Moore has 4 more years under his contract that pays him just under $24 million per season.
The Bears may have to part company with the high-priced Moore. If they do, they will have to replace him. The receiver who could catch their attention is Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts.
Pierce was a second-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022 and he has proven to be an excellent big-play receiver. He comes into to free agency having led the lead in yards per reception in each of the last two seasons. Pierce has wonderful deep speed, and the idea of Caleb Williams throwing to Pierce would be a tremendous asset for the Bears.
He caught 47-1,003-6 last year and that came one season after he caught 37-824-7. Pierce can beat most top-level NFL defensive backs, and he looks like a championship team's No. 1 receiver.
Tariq “Riq” Woolen
While Williams got most of the headlines and highlight-film plays for the Bears in 2025, it was the overall play by the defense that allowed them to win the division and advance in the postseason.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson had an injury-plagued season that saw him play in just 7 games last season. He is scheduled to have a base salary of more than $15 million and a cap hit of $25 million in 2026. They simply can't afford to keep Johnson on the roster in the upcoming season.
The Bears will need a top-level cornerback, and that's where Tariq Woolen of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks comes into play.
Woolen is a dynamic cover man and has been an impact player for the Seahawks in each of his first four seasons. He had 41 tackles in 2025 along with 12 passes defensed and 1 interception.
Woolen is one of the most unique weapons at the CB position. He is 6-4 and 210 pounds, meaning he can cover the biggest and most athletic receivers in the league.
S Bryan Cook
The Bears had spectacular safety play from Kevin Byard last season and he is likely to be far too expensive for the Bears after intercepting a league-leading 7 passes last season. Byard has had a brilliant career and certainly deserves a huge pay day.
The Bears will need a new safety and they need to bring Bryan Cook of the Kansas City Chiefs into the fold. The 26-year-old Cook is a four-year veteran who has been a big hitter in the Kansas City secondary.
He had 85 tackles along with 6 passes defensed last season. He can punish opposing receivers and while he does not have Byard's hands for interceptions, he can make wideouts pay for running their patterns over the middle.
