The Chicago Bears are preparing for a massive offseason. After naming Ben Johnson as the head coach, the next focus is improving this roster through trades, free agency, and the NFL Draft.
Despite the NFL Scouting Combine being the main focus for teams around the NFL this week, free agency is right around the corner. The legal tampering period opens up on March 12 at 11 a.m. CST, and teams will get the chance to start negotiating with free agents.
One player the Bears were rumored to have interest in was Chiefs guard Trey Smith, but they got some bad news on that front. According to Ian Rapoport, Kansas City is placing the franchise tag on Smith. The deal is for one-year at $23.4 million, which is a fully guaranteed deal.
The #Chiefs are planning to franchise tag star guard Trey Smith, sources say. An intriguing move, as KC keeps one of its best players for $23.4M on a 1-year, fully guaranteed deal. pic.twitter.com/IOnctKg7WE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2025
Trey Smith is off the Market
The Bears are expected to be big suitors in the offensive line market. Johnson is coming from a Detroit Lions team that had one of the best offensive lines in the league, so he'll be looking to build a stout unit in Chicago, and they need it badly after the 2024 season.
Caleb Williams was the most sacked quarterback last season (68). That can't be the case in 2025, which is why the Bears were expected to be serious suitors for Smith.
With him no longer being an option, the Bears will have to pivot elsewhere. Will Fries, Mekhi Becton, and Brandon Scherff are a few guards who will hit free agency in a couple of weeks. They could be some backup options for Chicago to look into but Smith not hitting free agency is a huge loss.
The good teams find ways to bounce when their top target is no longer available, and Bears fans are hoping that's the case with Chicago.