The Chicago Bears find themselves in unfamiliar territory this offseason - and that’s a good thing. For the first time in what feels like forever, they’re not drafting in the top 10.
That’s a sign of progress. But with that progress comes new challenges.
Limited salary cap space means GM Ryan Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson will need to get creative. There won’t be a big spending spree in free agency.
Instead, this offseason will be about smart decisions, tough calls, and maximizing every dollar.
The first order of business? Figuring out which in-house free agents are worth keeping - and which ones might be headed out the door.
According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, who recently ranked the top 50 players expected to hit free agency, only two Bears made the cut: cornerback Nahshon Wright and safety Jaquan Brisker. All-Pro safety Kevin Byard was listed as an honorable mention, but it’s Wright and Brisker who are drawing the most attention - and not necessarily for reasons Chicago fans will love.
Let’s start with Brisker. He’s a tone-setter - a physical, downhill safety who thrives near the line of scrimmage.
He’s the kind of guy who fills the alley with purpose and can bring pressure off the edge when asked to blitz. But he’s not just a box player; Brisker has shown he can hold his own in deep coverage too.
After missing most of the 2024 season with a concussion, he bounced back in a big way this year, suiting up for all 17 games. In his four seasons with the Bears, Brisker has posted four interceptions, seven sacks, and 14 pass breakups - a stat line that speaks to his versatility, if not elite production.
Then there’s Nahshon Wright, who stepped up in a big way during Chicago’s playoff push. With injuries mounting in the secondary, Wright seized the opportunity and didn’t look back - grabbing five interceptions and becoming a legitimate playmaker down the stretch.
His emergence was one of the more underrated storylines of the Bears’ season. But there’s a catch: the Bears have already invested heavily at cornerback, locking up Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon with extensions.
A third big contract at the position? That’s a tough sell.
That’s the crux of the Bears’ dilemma. Wright and Brisker are both good players.
They’ve been dependable, versatile, and in Wright’s case, opportunistic when it mattered most. But in a league where the salary cap forces hard choices, good isn’t always good enough - especially when those players are about to command eight-figure deals on the open market.
Brisker, for all his toughness and reliability, hasn’t quite delivered the splash plays that justify a $10 million-plus price tag. His 93 tackles this season were solid, but he finished with just one sack and one interception. Wright, meanwhile, made a strong case with his late-season heroics, but depth at corner and financial realities may force the Bears to let him walk.
This is what roster building looks like in the modern NFL. It’s not just about collecting talent - it’s about knowing when to move on.
The Bears are no longer rebuilding. They’re trying to build something sustainable.
That means making calculated sacrifices, even when it stings. Wright and Brisker could end up as cap casualties, not because they aren’t valuable, but because the Bears believe they can find similar production at a lower cost.
And there’s a silver lining here, too. If Wright and Brisker sign elsewhere, the Bears could be in line for compensatory draft picks - the kind of long-term asset that smart front offices covet.
That’s how you stay competitive year after year. Not just by drafting well or hitting on free agents, but by playing the long game - knowing when to let go, and trusting your ability to reload.
The Bears are entering a new phase. They’re no longer just trying to climb out of the basement - they’re trying to stay in the playoff mix.
And that means every roster decision matters. Wright and Brisker helped get them here.
Now it’s up to Poles and Johnson to decide if they’re part of what comes next.