Ryan Poles, Chicago Bears have major free agent dilemma with no easy answers

The Chicago Bears have some difficult decisions to make when NFL free agency gets underway in March.

Unlike last season, the Bears are currently projected to be upwards of $9.7 million over the salary cap, but have plenty of holes to plug and positions to upgrade, especially across the defense.

While general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears will find a way to create spending flexibility and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will likely see some big infusions of talent this offseason, one of Chicago’s most dominant defenders in 2025 poses one of the most vital questions for the front office this offseason.

Chicago Bears must figure out how to handle Kevin Byard

Veteran safety Kevin Byard more than found a home in the Bears’ secondary in 2025, leading the league with seven interceptions, and helping power a Chicago defense that led the league in takeways.

However, set to become a free agent, Byard is the biggest question that the Bears must answer this offseason, according to ESPN.

“The 32-year-old safety led the NFL with seven interceptions and logged the fourth-most passes defensed (8) on the Bears’ defense,” Courtney Cronin points out for ESPN. “Chicago’s brass values Byard’s contributions on the field as much as it does his impact in the locker room, where he was a captain in back-to-back seasons after signing a two-year, $15 million contract with the Bears in 2024. Byard is open to returning to Chicago and the Bears have expressed a desire to bring him back. But they also have decisions to make on three other safeties ahead of free agency, most notably Jaquan Brisker. “Kevin’s a special player,” general manager Ryan Poles said. “I have no problem saying that’s a player that we would like to have back. But, again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster, with cap restraints and things like that, it’ll be a challenge.”

Byard’s impact on the field, posting 93 total tackles, eight pass breakups, 6.5 tackles for loss, and his seven interceptions only bolsters the leadership value that he brought to the table this season.

Given that Byard, Brisker, and fellow safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson are each set to become free agents, there are no easy answers here.

Poles and the Bears may need to pay a premium to keep Byard in Chicago after his strong season, but he might be one of the few players on the roster, and a burgeoning defense that the franchise can least afford to lose.

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