Roster cutdown day is always full of drama in the NFL, and the Chicago Bears are in the thick of it now that head coach Ben Johnson is in charge. Not only are the Bears in the middle of trimming their roster down, but it's also an opportunity to look around the league and find new players who were released.
There's always a chance you find treasure out of someone else's trash, and we're already seeing examples of guys Chicago could target.
One that just popped up happens to have strong ties to head coach Ben Johnson and would provide the Bears with valuable offensive line depth while taking away from a critical division rival.
The Lions are releasing offensive tackle Dan Skipper, @Justin_Rogers reports pic.twitter.com/9kQZHSh2de
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 25, 2025
Bears Should Target Ex-Lions OL Dan Skipper After Roster Cuts
According to Detroit Lions insider Brad Galli, the Lions released longtime veteran lineman Dan Skipper. He spent seven years with the organization and was beloved in the locker room, so he'll be a valuable addition for whichever team brings him in.
The Bears should be that team.
Johnson was with Skipper in Detroit and saw firsthand the value he brings to a roster. That kind of veteran experience would help a youthful Chicago locker room, and Skipper knows what it's like for a franchise to completely change its culture. The Bears are essentially trying to do what the Lions did to build a perennial contender, and the connection feels too obvious not to happen.
From an on-field perspective, you can never have too much depth in the trenches. Quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times, and while some of that was his fault, the line didn't perform well. Fixing the offensive line was one of the biggest priorities of the offseason, evidenced by the team trading for four-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.
Skipper doesn't project as a starter, but the value he could bring as a backup shouldn't be ignored. He's only 30 years old and at 6-foot-9, 334-pounds, Skipper has size that virtually no one else in the league can match. At the worst, he'll be a leader for a team that needs them.
The Johnson connection is the cherry on top and is what makes this move a legitimate possibility. You don't often see division rivals exchange players, though this is a case in which it'd help Chicago in a big way. Provided that Skipper wouldn't mind changing sides, it'd benefit him too to reunite with his former offensive coordinator.
We'll see what happens, but don't be surprised if Skipper becomes a Bear.