Just because the season is over doesn’t mean Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles isn’t trying to make the team better and is never satisfied. March 11 marked the new year of the NFL 2026 season and officially started free agency and trades around the league. The Bears had to bid farewell to some fan favorite players, but brought in some new great play makers as well. Let’s take a look at who the Bears got this round, to see if the team got better or worse. 

In 2025, the Bears had a very good season going 11-6 and even winning a playoff game against their rivals up north, the Green Bay Packers. No matter how good your team is, there is always room to improve. The Bears did lead the NFL in defensive turnovers differential with 22, but on the flip side with all those turnovers they let up the fourth most yards in the league. They would take a lot of risks on defense to get those turnovers but it would also hurt at times, and they would play “bend don’t break” defense. Their key goals going into free agency on defense was to get faster and younger.

On the offensive side, the Bears sadly had their All-Pro 27 year old center Drew Dalman suddenly retire. On top of that, their starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo had a season ending injury late in the 4th quarter of a playoff game against the Packers. They also had to say goodbye to a Chicago favorite wide receiver DJ Moore, as he was traded to Buffalo as the Bears get a 2nd round pick in return from the Buffalo Bills.

Grayslake Central wide receiver Bryce Carlson said “It was obviously sad to see DJ Moore go, since he’s done a lot for the Bears over the few years he’s been here. His touchdown to seal the win against the Packers was a huge moment I’ll never forget. While it’s sad to see him go, I know it’s for the better and that DJ will be great in Buffalo.” This pretty much sums up how most Bears fans feel, that he will always have a soft spot with most fans because of his huge moments in big games for Chicago.

With the Bears letting six defensive starters walk in free agency, they needed to get some new identity and rebranding as a unit. Poles got started quickly with signing speedy linebacker Devin Bush on a three year deal, and adding Superbowl champion Coby Bryant also on a three year contract. Grayslake Central linebacker Karl McDonald said “Bush was a first round pick for the Steelers and his stats have gone up a lot in the last two years with also three picks last year.” One of the most underrated signings for the Bears has been bringing back Lake Zurich High School alumnus Jack Sanborn to the linebacker core. They also made the defensive line a main focus as they re-signed Daniel Hardy on a two year deal and signed Neville Gallimore on a two year contract from Indianapolis. This a really good start for the Bears and as a lot of fans are hoping for them to make a splash in the draft, they will be in a good spot for the upcoming years. 

Due to the retirement, injuries, and trades, the Bears were left with a couple sore spots on their offensive. They patched those all up with resigning two offensive lineman and signing another, all on one year contracts. They brought back Braxton Jones, Jordan McFadden, and signed free agent Jedrick Wills. Poles also got to talking on the phone with other GM’s as he traded for Dalman’s replacement, and traded a 5th round pick for center Garrett Bradbury from the Patriots. With all of the offensive lineman signings that will be a huge part of trenches for head coach Ben Johnson’s run game. One of the most important signings that went over a lot of peoples heads was bringing in receiver/returner Kalif Raymond from the Lions. Ben Johnson has previously coached Raymond, and he will be a huge part of the return game with his ultra quickness and his ability to change direction. Another sneaky resigning that will be huge was Case Keenum back on a two year deal. A lot of people don’t agree with resigning a third string quarterback but Keenum has been a huge part of star quarterback Caleb Williams development and will continue to be a mentor for the young Williams. The Bears have made a lot of great depth moves on offense and moves that I believe will for sure pay off in the future, when they actually get into the season.

The Bears are setting themselves up for another great season in 2026 with all of these signings. Some players for sure hurt to let go but the players that they got in replacement will shine brighter and be more developmental to the team as the Chicago Bears have one of the youngest cores in the NFL. While people are hoping for the Bears to make a big splash in the draft, the other pieces they just acquired will be key in this upcoming season. With the head of the team being Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, they can’t do it all alone and they just got their help to go out and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Chicago for the first time in 41 years.