The Chicago Bears have made it a point of emphasis through the first two weeks of free agency to address the interior defensive line. The Bears signed Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch in hopes of creating depth behind Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter, and Shemar Turner.
While that sounds good on paper, if Jarrett, Dexter, or Turner sustained an injury during the season, the Bears would have to depend on Gallimore, Street, or Lynch, which is less than ideal. Therefore, the Bears must try to upgrade the spot either in free agency or in the draft. If the Bears go to the free agency route, they might want to proceed with caution on veteran Christian Wilkins.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilkins’s agent, David Mulugheta, told him that the veteran defensive lineman “fully intends to play this season.” Schefter also reported that “26 teams have reached out and are waiting for Wilkins to be ready.”
Christian Wilkins Isn't Worth the Risk for Bears
During the 2025 season, Windy City's Cem Yolbulan tossed around the idea of the Bears possibly signing Wilkins due to their struggles in the middle of the interior defensive line. At the beginning of October, the Bears were giving up 164.5 rushing yards per game, which is not conducive to success.
Chicago’s run defense somewhat got its act together as it finished the regular season with 134.5 yards per game (sixth-most in the NFL).
When healthy, Wilkins seems like he could be the exact solution to help the Bears’ run defense, as he had an 80.2 Pro Football Focus grade before going down with a Jones fracture early in the 2024 season. But that’s one of the issues regarding Wilkins, his health.
The veteran defensive lineman played only five games in his first year with the Las Vegas Raiders and missed the entire 2025 season because of said foot injury. Wilkins was released last July after reportedly declining the Raiders’ request to get a follow-up procedure done on his injured foot.
Wilkins also had an HR complaint filed against him for reportedly kissing a teammate on the head, which is rumored to have played a notable part in his release.
With all that being said, Chicago must weigh whether the veteran defender is worth bringing in, considering the culture head coach Ben Johnson created in his first year. Johnson breathed new life into the organization, and in one season, turned them into a contender in the NFC. Nobody wants to see that disappear for nothing.
Before everything went downhill with the Raiders, Wilkins was improving in his first five years with the Miami Dolphins, which included a nine-sack season in 2024. If the Bears feel as if he could fit, there’s no harm in bringing him in for a visit.
If Chicago is pressed to add more talent to its DT group, especially after the goodwill the Bears have built over the last year.