After hiring coveted first-time head coach Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears made it their top offseason priority to upgrade their offensive line. They kicked off the offseason by trading for veteran offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney and signed rising star center Drew Dalman. Coleman Shelton, Teven Jenkins, and Larry Borom were among the Bears free agents that the team refused to retain.
Chicago's offensive line will obviously look very different next year after the slew of transactions. As of now, Dalman, Thuney, and Jackson are all expected to start, with Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright projected to be the two starting tackles.
One holdover Bear whose future with the team is uncertain is Kiran Amegadjie.
Kiran Amegadjie's Future With the Bears in Jeopardy After Offseason Moves
Amegadjie was Chicago's third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Yale standout failed to crack the rotation as a rookie despite the consistent struggles in the offensive line. He got the start in Week 15 against the Vikings, and saw offensive snaps in four other games, playing a total of 126 snaps.
In that limited playing time, Amegadjie wasn't able to establish himself as a solid rotation piece. For the season, he received a 40.3 offensive grade and a miserable 39.4 pass-blocking grade on PFF. He allowed one sack and seven QB hits while committing five penalties.
The 23-year-old will begin the season as Braxton Jones' backup. Unless Jones unexpectedly struggles in his fourth season in Chicago, it's hard to see Amegadjie getting much of an opportunity. This increases the likelihood that the Bears could use the young offensive lineman in a trade. If there is a team around the league willing to take a chance on a recent third-round pick, the Bears would be smart to cut their losses sooner rather than later.