The Chicago Bears underwent a dramatic culture change in 2025, and a lot of it can be traced back to head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson’s background from the Detroit Lions was one reason for the quick turnaround that helped Chicago win its first division title since 2018, but it can also be traced back to his mantra of “Good, Better, Best.”
Those three words should be the focus of this offseason. The Bears were good last season, but they want to be better in 2026. If they make the right moves during the spring, they could be the best team in the NFL next season, which means they need to keep an open mind as they look to improve the roster.
One of those opportunities came on Monday, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Miami Dolphins are expected to release star receiver Tyreek Hill. While Hill will turn 32 in March and is coming off a major knee injury, he could be the piece Chicago needs to take its offense to another level and help the Bears take another step next fall.
Tyreek Hill’s Release Could Unlock Bears’ Offense in 2026
The Bears had a good pass offense last year, but some would argue it wasn’t their best. Caleb Williams threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his first year under Johnson, but it felt there was some meat on the bone as he had just 6.9 yards per attempt and 7.34 air yards per attempt.
With those numbers, it’s clear the Bears could use another downfield threat in the receiver room. According to Pro Football Focus, Rome Odunze fits the bill, averaging a team-leading depth of target of 14.9 yards, but DJ Moore was the only Chicago receiver averaging over 10 yards, with a depth of 12.1 yards. Luther Burden III was more of a YAC threat, averaging 7.9 yards, and Olamide Zaccheaus was also a short-range target, averaging 7.6 yards.
If Moore is traded this offseason, it leaves a big hole in the Bears’ downfield attack, and there has been no bigger deep threat in the NFL over the past decade than Hill. Over his 10-year career, Hill has an average depth of target of 12.0 yards. Before he suffered a dislocated kneecap and torn ACL last October, Hill was showing signs of life, averaging 2.55 yards per route run and an average depth of target of 13.1 yards over 104 receiving snaps.
The yards per route run would have blown past the current group of Bears receivers, as Burden had a team-high 2.34 yards per route run among qualifiers. It also could be an upgrade over Moore, who is signed through the 2029 season but has identical $28.5 million cap hits from 2026 to 2028.
In addition, the Bears are expected to move on from Zaccheaus in free agency. While Zaccheaus was a solid depth player, he had issues with six drops and a 12.8 percent drop rate on 67 targets that should end his time in Chicago.
Health is obviously an issue, but there’s a good chance the Bears could get better production at a cheaper price point by swapping Hill for Moore or Zaccheaus. Such a move could help Chicago improve on their 2025 performance and be at its best next season.