Bears Urged to Add 4-Time Pro Bowler to Protect Justin Fields

Getty Orlando Brown Jr. could be a prime target for the Chicago Bears in 2023 free agency.

The Chicago Bears are expected to be big spenders in 2023 free agency given their abundance of cap space and numerous needs for their roster, and one of the Kansas City Chiefs’ likely-to-depart stars could be a prime target for them.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently identified three “top targets” for the Bears to pursue in 2023 free agency and placed Chiefs star left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. right at the top of his list. The 26-year-old has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his past four seasons, including the current one, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported back in the offseason that contract negotiations had broken down between him and the Chiefs.

“Brown Jr. has demonstrated high-level play at both right and left tackle,” Ballentine wrote on December 28. “Since 2019, he’s never posted a PFF grade of lower than 72.0 and has given up four sacks or fewer in each of those games. Bringing in Brown on a long-term contract and kicking Braxton Jones over to the right side could give the Bears a young, competent tackle tandem for the foreseeable future. That would be huge for Justin Fields’ development and set a high floor for the Bears offensive line.”

Bears Can Afford to Take Big Swings in 2023

The Bears will have to be prepared to spend a big chunk of change in 2023 if they want to make a run at Brown, especially considering how far the Chiefs were reportedly willing to go to keep his talents in Kansas City protecting Patrick Mahomes. Schefter reported back in July that the Chiefs tried to lock down Brown with a six-year, $139 million deal that would have paid a little more than $23 million per year, but they failed to reach an agreement and postponed negotiations until after the 2022 season.

Now, the Chiefs could still persuade Brown to stick around and might work to do so before he is allowed to test the waters in free agency. Should Brown still not have a new deal in place before the start of the 2023 league year on March 15, though, the Bears would have more than enough money and motivation to make him a lucrative, top-of-the-market offer in order to bring his services to Chicago.

According to Over the Cap, the Bears are scheduled to have a little more than $123 million in cap space for the 2023 offseason, which is nearly $43 million than any other team who could be competing with them for specific targets. The Chiefs, however, are down at about $28.39 million in cap space, an amount they can increase with the right roster moves after the season but perhaps not enough to contend with an aggressive challenge from the Bears.

Brown would certainly be a major upgrade for the Bears offensive line. Not only would they add a stalwart left tackle to protect Justin Fields’ blindside, but they would also have three solid starters — counting both Jones and right guard Teven Jenkins — across their offensive line for the 2023 season. The Bears could then solve the rest of their offensive line problems in the draft and devote more of their cap resources to securing assets for their defense.

Bears May Have Other Options If Brown Stays in KC

While Brown is set to be the top offensive tackle on the market in 2023, the Bears wouldn’t be completely out of luck if he decided to stay in Kansas City for the long-term future. There are a few more veteran tackles projected to become free agents in March that could appeal to them if they want to add another veteran.

One approach could be looking specifically for a right tackle. The Bears have gotten some terrific play out of Jones as a rookie fifth-rounder in 2022 and might be sold on letting him continue on in his role on the left side. In that case, they might want to target a guy like San Francisco’s Mike McGlinchey, a former first-round pick who — according to Pro Football Focus — has played 4,271 career snaps at right tackle and allowed zero sacks in 12 of his 15 starts for the 49ers this season.

The Bears might also have some interest in New England Patriots offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn. While the 26-year-old primarily played at right tackle in 2022 for the Patriots before landing on injured reserve with a foot injury in late November, he was much better in his previous season at left tackle. The Bears could secure him for a much lower price than Brown will command on the market and would also have the advantage of being able to play him on either side of their line, depending on how camp battles go.

According to Spotrac, McGlinchey is projected to have a calculated market value of about $10.7 million in average annual salary for his next contract. Wynn is a little more pricey with an average-annual-salary projection north of $15 million.