Chicago Bears fans have gotten used to the franchise letting them down over the years, regardless of how high (or low) their hopes are. The 2023 NFL season was no different. Despite it feeling like this was the year when the Bears would take a step forward, Matt Eberflus' team ended the year with a 7-10 record — the third season with double-digit losses.
With another long offseason ahead of them, the Bears faithful hope to see some serious changes in the coming months. The first step general manager Ryan Poles can take towards bettering the team is trimming some fat this offseason by parting ways with players who shouldn't be kept around any longer.
Here are five free agents who the Bears must let walk this offseason.
5 Bears Free Agents Who Should Walk
1. D'Onta Foreman, RB
After bouncing around six franchises across his first five years in the league, veteran running back D'Onta Foreman signed a one-year deal with the Bears last season. He was viewed as a solid backup RB to Khalil Herbert, who had missed four games due to a hip injury in 2022.
With that being said, Foreman didn't have the most productive 2023 campaign. Despite Hebert's five missed games opening the door for more playing time, Foreman was limited to just nine outings due to his own injuries, personal issues, and being a healthy scratch multiple times. As a result, he only recorded 424 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 109 carries.
Being a healthy scratch is usually bad news for a player, especially when they're a pending free agent like Foreman. With Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and Travis Homer all under contract through 2024, it wouldn't be surprising if Chicago prefers to focus on that trio — or even add another RB through the draft — rather than bringing back an RB who's missed 37 games due to injury since the start of 2017, per The Fantasy Doctors.
If the Bears want a healthier backfield in 2024, it's time to let Foreman walk out the door.
2. Darnell Mooney, WR
Remember how promising Darnell Mooney looked during the 2018 campaign? As a sophomore, the ex-Tulane wide receiver finished the year as Chicago's leader in receptions (81), receiving yards (1,055), and touchdown catches (4). At the time, fans couldn't wait to see what he did next.
Unfortunately, Mooney hasn't come close to those heights since then. Injuries have held him to 27 of a possible 34 games over the last two seasons — a span where he's caught 71 balls for 907 yards and three TDs. That isn't a bad stat line in one season, however, finishing with fewer than 500 receiving yards in each of the last two years has left a bad taste in the fanbase's mouth.
Mooney is now slated to become a free agent and it wouldn't be surprising if he isn't brought up. Despite how much he wants to stay in the Windy City, the Bears can do better than a struggling wideout who just recorded career lows in catch percentage (50.8%) and receiving yards per game (27.6) to go on top of his 14 drops over the last three seasons.
A fresh destination could help Mooney get back on track, which is why a divorce could be beneficial for both sides.
3. Robert Tonyan, TE
There was a lot of excitement when tight end Robert Tonyan joined the Bears on a one-year deal last offseason. Sports fans love homecomings and that was the case here considering that the veteran pass-catcher was born and raised in Chicago before playing college ball at Indiana State.
But while some players love balling out in front of their hometown supporters, that wasn't the case for Tonyan. Despite appearing in all 17 games, the 29-year-old only mustered up 11 catches for 112 receiving yards without a touchdown — a far cry from the 53-470-2 stat line he posted with the rival Green Bay Packers last year.
With Cole Kmet as the Bears' clear No. 1 TE, there just isn't a spot for Tonyan on the roster if can't be a weekly contributor. Sometimes hometown returns just don't work out, which appears to be the case here.
4. Dylan Cole, LB
Another player signed to a one-year deal last March, Dylan Cole didn't make much of an impact in Chicago, either.
After starting in eight of 15 games with the Tennessee Titans in 2022, Cole didn't make a start in any of his 16 appearances this season. The ex-Missouri State defender struggled to make the most of his limited playing time, finishing with just four tackles (2 solo) while playing 332 of his 335 snaps on special teams.
There's nothing wrong with being a special teamer, but those kinds of players are easily replaceable. Cole just doesn't do anything unique that the Bears couldn't find if they turned to the NFL draft or free agency.
If he were younger and his ceiling was untapped, maybe I could see the Bears bringing him back. However, now that he's turning 30 in May, chances are we've already seen the best that he has to offer.
Good luck to Cole wherever his career takes him next. It just likely won't be a second stint in Chicago.
5. Lucas Patrick, C
The Bears' offensive line was the source of frustration many times throughout the 2023 campaign and Lucas Patrick was at the center (pun intended) of these issues.
While he didn't allow a single sack on the 953 offensive snaps he took, Patrick finished the regular season with an NFL-leading 11 penalties for a total of 65 yards. Not only did his 40.6 pass block grade on Pro Football Focus rank as the worst among Chicago offensive linemen but his 50.5 overall grade ranks sixth-worst among 37 qualified centers.
At the end of the day, Patrick just didn't live up to the hype that came with the two-year, $8 million deal he signed with the Bears two years ago. Now that his contract is up, it's time for the 30-year-old — who ended the season on the injured reserve — to bounce back... elsewhere.
In other Bears news: