The official league year starts on Wednesday, but that hasn't slowed the Chicago Bears down from making additions to their roster when the negotiating period opened. The biggest ones have come on the defensive side with Coby Bryant and Devin Bush, but they've also added some new faces to the offense.
Chicago signed receiver Kalif Raymond to a one-year, $5.1 million deal. He offers them added depth at receiver and a high-end return man, but he may not be the last Detroit Lion that the Bears add this offseason. And defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad is a name that makes a ton of sense.
Bears Could Add Another Lion in Free Agency After Signing Kalif Raymond
The pass rush is an area of focus for the Bears, after being tied for 28th in team sacks (35) last season. Montez Sweat led the way with 10 sacks, but the next closest edge rusher was Austin Booker at 4.5 sacks. That's not good enough, and that's where Muhammad would come in.
If he did in fact join the Bears, it would be a reunion, as he played for the Bears in 2022. During that stint, he played in 16 games (nine starts), logging 29 total tackles, three QB hits, and one sack.
Those numbers weren't that impressive, but Muhammad seemed to find his footing last year with the Lions and posted career numbers. In 17 games, he posted 25 total tackles, with career-bests in sacks (11), QB hits (20), total pressures (53), and QB hurries (32). Via Pro Football Focus, he had a 74.3 overall grade (30th among 115 graded edge defenders) and a 71.9 pass rush grade (33rd among 115 graded edge defenders).
Those grades would have put Muhammad into either the No. 1 or No. 2 spot on the Bears in 2025, but it's no secret that he would give Chicago more juice off the edge. Spotrac projects Muhammad to get a two-year, $15.7 million deal, which comes out at just under $7.9 million per season.
That's not an expensive or long-term deal, but it would bolster a unit that needs better players. It also wouldn't stop the Bears from adding to the edge room in the draft either. Having quality pass rushers is a must as Chicago looks to take that next step into Super Bowl contender status.
And since Ben Johnson has a history in Detroit, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him pluck players from that organization. He just did it with Raymond, and with a big need at pass rush, Muhammad makes a lot of sense and could be the next Lion that Chicago brings over. It would improve the Bears' edge room while weakening a rival in the process.