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$80 Million Chiefs Star Warned to Avoid Bears in Free Agency

Getty Defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chicago Bears have a fortune to spend in free agency but the team’s reputation as perennial cellar dwellers could make some of the biggest fish hard to land.

Take, for instance, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is headed for the market next March and could offer a monumental boost to a struggling Bears pass rush. Jones held out into the 2023 campaign and admitted recently that this could be his final year with the defending champions.

But on Wednesday, December 6, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report warned Jones to steer clear of Chicago — an opinion that is a far cry from singular in NFL media circles.

Chris Jones tops the free-agent Big Board as one of the most dominant interior pass-rushers in the game. He also makes this list as one of the few elite players who feels primed to actually leave his team.

The Chicago Bears would be contenders. Matt Eberflus‘ defense has a 4-3 base, like the Chiefs. Trading for Montez Sweat gives them a pass-rushing foundation that would be enhanced by Jones.

However, it’s still fair to question whether the timelines match up for Jones and Chicago. The Bears are still unsettled at quarterback … and the jury is still out on Eberflus. Jones will be looking for a multi-year deal just as he turns 30. He makes a lot of sense for a team competing in 2024, but it isn’t clear the Bears will be that kind of team.


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The Chicago Bears have a fortune to spend in free agency but the team's reputation as perennial cellar dwellers could make some of the biggest fish hard to land.