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We give an overview of the Chicago Bears’ 2024 offseason and what to anticipate in the month that follows as we approach free agency.
Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, the 2023 NFL season has officially ended. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of surprise teams this season, but the two best teams were the ones that finished last in Sunday’s Super Bowl. All 32 NFL teams will turn their attention to the off-season once the season is over. Throughout the league, the first six weeks are a balancing act. Though the surviving playoff teams gladly postpone their off-season preparations in order to have a chance to participate in the biggest game of the year, nearly (60%) of the league can swiftly turn the page and start a new year.
Chicago’s off-season preparations began earlier than others. Even though they had an outstanding season finale, they started discussing the coaching staff’s future internally far earlier than most teams. Ultimately, they decided to make significant adjustments to their offensive coaching staff while keeping head coach Matt Eberflus. As if that weren’t enough, they also brought on a defensive coordinator who doesn’t call plays, which will relieve part of Eberflus’ workload come playoff time.
For the second consecutive off-season, Chicago will be the centre of attention. The Bears begin the off-season with the top overall pick once again, despite not having the ridiculous amount of cap money they did in 2017. With quarterback Justin Fields, general manager Ryan Poles and his front office have a better idea of what they have than they had the previous season. Even though this plot will take centre stage during Chicago’s off-season, there are still a lot of choices to be made both before and after.
Unlike previous years, the Bears find themselves in a favourable position once again.
They not only own a first-round selection for the second straight year, but they also own the rights to two Top 10 picks. The most significant, of course, will be their choice at No. 1 overall. Conventional wisdom says they have one of two options.
Chicago does not currently own the rights to a second-round pick. But one would think the road to a second-round pick would become clear once the quarterback situation is resolved. Poles will own four additional picks for the rest of the draft (apart from the first round). Three third-rounders, two fourth-round selections, and a fifth-round pick are included in that. It is reasonable to anticipate some movement, which ought to result in additional picks on Day 3. In light of this, most people think that the talent pool for Day 3 is shallower than it has been in prior years. Whatever happens, Bears fans can anticipate a jam-packed week of entertainment during the combine.
As of the start of the 2023 regular season, Chicago seemed to have three candidates for the tag. To be honest, most fans probably didn’t think highly of Jaylon Johnson. Darnell Mooney was no longer the team’s primary aim as he entered a crucial Year 4. Now that he was settled in, most people thought Chase Claypool would have a good chance of landing a deal that paid close to $20 million a year. Johnson wasn’t thought to be among the best at his position, despite being seen as an improving player.
Yet, when all was said and done, Johnson came away as the only player worthy of consideration when it comes to a Franchise/Transition tag. Mooney had yet another disappointing year. Claypool was so bad that he was dealt to Miami in early October for a late-round pick in 2025. Barring a surprise, Chicago is expected to tag Johnson somewhere in the two-week tag window.
Looking beyond the tag window, the Bears’ list of pending free agents is as short as it has been in some time. Chicago has just 15 unrestricted free agents, two exclusive right players, and one restricted free agent. Exclusive rights-free agents are the easiest to tender and also the cheapest. In today’s NFL, unless a player is performing at an impressive rate, a restricted free agent tender does not get extended.
