The Chicago Bears will have some hard decisions to make about the future of their safety position during the 2026 NFL offseason with starters Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker both due to become unrestricted free agents in March.
Thus far, the Bears have also indicated that Byard — the NFL’s interception leader and a Pro Bowl selection in 2025 — is their re-signing priority, making it even more likely that Brisker has to find a new team for the 2026 season, as Chicago likely cannot pay both.
Regardless of which two safeties the Bears choose to bring back, though, NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes they will find their other starter in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, predicting they will take versatile Oregon star Dillion Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in his first mock draft of the 2026 offseason.
“The Bears figure to be in the safety market with the contracts expiring for Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson,” Jeremiah wrote on January 26. “Thieneman can play both safety spots and could cover in the slot if needed.”
Dillon Thieneman Could Fit Nicely Into Bears’ Plans
Thieneman is a versatile defensive back who drew rave reviews from his coaches and teammates for not only his high-IQ diagnostic skills and elite instincts in coverage but also his “machine-like” work ethic that has helped make him a fast-rising prospect.
During his stops at Purdue (2023-24) and Oregon (2025), he operated largely as a deep field free safety, but he also showed he could offer some run support in the box and line up in the slot in nickel formations. He tallied 306 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 14 pass deflections and two forced fumbles over 39 career games.
That screams “ideal fit” for Dennis Allen’s defense, especially in terms of his effort.
“Dillon Theineman’s versatile skillset is being underrated as a true three-down impact defender in the NFL,” Bleacher Report’s Daniel Harms wrote in his draft profile. “He can line up anywhere, triggers downhill in a hurry, and gives the coaching staff his all whenever he’s on the field. The effort shows up in every phase.”
While ESPN, Pro Football Focus and The Draft Network all have Thieneman listed outside of the top 40 heading into Super Bowl weekend, he will have several chances to improve his draft stock throughout the offseason if he impresses scouts during the NFL Combine and Oregon’s pro day workout in the coming months before the draft.
In other words, while Jeremiah’s top-25 prediction for Thieneman feels like a bit of a reach at this point in the process, there are reasons to think he is onto something and that the consensus might change about him before the Bears make their decision.
Bears Safety Room Could Look Much Different in 2026
Even if Thieneman is not the pick, the Bears are likely to have a 2026 safety room that looks much different than the 2025 model, and not just because of Byard and Brisker.
The Bears also have veterans C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jonathan Owens and former draft pick Elijah Hicks scheduled to become free agents at 4 p.m. ET on March 11 when the 2026 league year officially kicks off. If they re-sign none of them before then, they will enter the new year with just one safety — Gervarrius Owens — under contract.
Now, the Bears seem likely to bring back at least one of those safeties. If they somehow miss out on both Byard and Brisker because of costs, they might circle back to Gardner-Johnson, who made an impact in 2025 after joining midseason to cover the nickel role. Owens (15) and Hicks (14) also logged a handful of special teams tackles this past year.
Unfortunately for the Bears, it is unrealistic to think they will bring back everyone with the cap restrictions they are facing. According to Over the Cap, the Bears will need to clear about $17.3 million in 2026 cap space before March 11 to get back in the black. Realistically, they will need even more to sign draft picks and handle other expenses.
Naturally, it would make a lot of sense if the Bears invested one — if not multiple — of their draft picks into a new safety. Thieneman could present an option in the first round if they are not fixated on solving their left tackle or defensive line issues, but they will also have opportunities to find starter-ready talent with their Day 2 selections.
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