I am honestly not sure what I like more, watching sports or ranting about sports. As a Chicago fan, I'm lucky that I get so much joy from ranting as there is a lot to be angry about. But the 2025 Chicago Bears season is not one of those things. Because this success came out of nowhere, they went further than anyone predicted, they won so many games in the last two minutes, they proved they have competent coaches and, most importantly, QB Caleb Williams showed a ton of growth and potential, I am actually about as happy as I can possibly be after a season whose last game was a loss.
But that doesn't mean I will sit here quietly and wait for next season. Nope. Now I get to think (more like obsess) about possible off-season moves. I also get to try to convince myself (and everyone around me) that I am at least as smart as NFL general managers who have a ton more training and expertise than me. Sadly, I am not. But damn it is fun pretending!
Today I am obsessed thinking about how the Bears can improve their defensive line. While the Bears defense was constantly bailed out by the fact that they created the most turnovers in the league, that is not a stat they can rely on next year. So they are going to have to upgrade the very weak defensive roster. The coach, Dennis Allen, definitely got the most possible out of these 2nd and 3rd stringers, but imagine what he could do with real talent. I'm salivating at the thought. And they really need talent that can rush the passer.
The Bears biggest problem on defense was the fact that the struggled to pressure the quarter back. Even though they finished in the middle of the pack with 35 sacks, they were in the bottom third of the league with only 214 total QB pressures. That is not the mark of a Super Bowl caliber team. They defintiely need to improve that if they hope to be competing for the Lombardi Trophy next year.
Luckily there are some real options. Well on real one, one a distant possibility and one that is a total pipe dream. But it is February! I Have at least five months to dream!
Here's the real one. DE Bradley Chubb was released by the dolphins last year. Prior to 2023, Chubb had made 2 Pro Bowls during the first five years of his career. he was traded to the Dolphins from Denver and signed a huge deal. Then in 2023, he tore his ACL and missed all of 2024. But last year he stormed back and played in every game. In those games, Chubb recorded 8.5 sacks... which is OK. But he also recorded 48 pressures... which is amazing! That is almost 1/4 of what the entire Bears team recorded. Because he was cut and had earned a huge signing bonus, the Bears can realistically sign him without giving up anything in return.
Here's the distant possibility: Tre Hendrickson. Hendrickson held out during a bitter contract battle with the Bengals last year. That battle resulted in a one year $30 million deal. SO he is currently a free agent. The only problem is that he will be significantly more expensive than Chubb. The Bears have no safeties under contract and still need to make an upgrade at Left Tackle. I'm not sure if they can pay this guy. But if they can, they will be getting a guy who had 4 sacks in 7 games before he got hurt. Between 2023 and 2025, he pressured the quarterback an insane 299 times! I'd love to see him on the Bears line.
Here's the pipe dream: Myles Garrett. Garrett just broke the NFL single season sack record with 23. he also pressured the QB... 84.... yes 84 times. In other words, he is probably the best defensive player in the league. Adding him would instantly make the bears a real Super Bowl contender. But this would be a real long shot. Getting him would mean trading away multiple first round picks. They would then have to pay his $40 million salary. The only reason he is included here is that the Browns are a train wreck filled with dumpster fires. They are simply horrendous and Garrett is being wasted on a team that won't make the playoffs for many years. they need picks and the Bears need a game wrecker. If there is a way to make this happen, it MUST happen. I just don't think it can. But I can dream!!!!