The Chicago Bears, who are historically known for strong defenses (including the 1985 Super Bowl team), struggled at times last season. Several players left in free agency, such as Eddie Jackson and Byron Cowart.
Chicago gave up 218 passing yards per game last season. That ranked close to the middle of the pack in the league. Even though the Bears' secondary lost another key contributor, who is set up for success now in 2025, the team will be better off without him.
Here's why the Chicago Bears are better off without cornerback Jaylon Jones.
#Cardinals signing #Bears free agent corner Jaylon Jones, reuniting him with high school teammate Kyler Murray. A former UDFA, Jones has 4.41 speed, started seven #NFL games, 85 tackles #NFLFreeAgency
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 20, 2025
Deal negotiated by Damien Butler @Damien_Butler8 of @CMV_Sports
Moving on from Jaylon Jones Sets the Bears Up Nicely
While Jaylon Jones was an undrafted signee in 2022, he inked a deal with the Arizona Cardinals worth $1.2 million on a one-year deal.
The three-year veteran never recorded an interception when playing for Chicago. He forced a fumble in his rookie year. Jones has four passes defended to his name, two in his rookie year and two last season.
Jones played just eight games for the Bears in 2024. Perhaps, they viewed him as expendable given his shortcomings on the stat sheet.
Arizona believed in him more than Chicago did, apparently. The Bears were willing to let Jones walk despite a lack of production in the NFC North.
The 27-year-old joins former high school teammate and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Jones may be called upon for special teams in addition to his contributions to Arizona's depth in the secondary.
Chicago Found a Replacement in the 2025 NFL Draft
Whether it was by design or not, the Bears found someone to take over for Jones in the secondary during April's NFL Draft. With the 169th overall pick this year, Chicago selected Zah Frazier.
The former Cedartown, Georgia standout was selected in the fifth round. His six-foot-three-inch frame makes him a nightmare for smaller wideouts downfield.
Frazier first played collegiate football for Southern Illinois in 2019. Then, he transferred to Coffeyville for two seasons before playing for the University of Texas in San Antonio.
The former Roadrunner player had three games with multiple interceptions. He collected a pair of picks against Temple University, North Texas, and East Carolina.
That type of presence on defense is what the Bears need, despite Jones leaving for another NFC foe. The former Rebel defender will be missed, but not forgotten. Regardless of the Cardinals' addition to their defense, Chicago can withstand the blow thanks to Frazier being drafted two months ago.