The Chicago Bears turned one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines into one of its best in a single offseason under Ben Johnson, and the chance to add the last missing piece to the unit may have just fallen into the franchise’s lap.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Tuesday, February 24 that 12-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams is at an impasse with the San Francisco 49ers that might result in his release and free agency as of the new league year on March 11.
“With five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season, he and the 49ers currently are struggling to find a contractual solution, per league sources,” Schefter wrote on X. “If the two sides can’t bridge their differences in their standoff, Williams would be expected to join this year’s free-agent class, making him one of the premier players available.”
Joe Thuney Not Long-Term Answer for Bears at Left Tackle
GettyChicago Bears offensive guard Joe Thuney.
Any team with a need at left tackle and the cap space to add one would obviously be interested in Williams if he comes available.
That said, Williams is going to play next season at 38, which makes him a short-term play at a premium position and thus more of a finishing piece to a contender than a building block.
Chicago is a young team on the rise, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have room for an elite player at the one questionable position on the offensive line after falling an overtime touchdown short of an NFC Championship Game appearance in January.
Rookie Ozzy Trapilo, who took over at left tackle after the Bears tried Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet there, suffered a knee injury during the postseason. General manager Ryan Poles told reporters Monday that while Trapilo will eventually return, he is likely out for most of the 2026 campaign, per Adam Hoge of CHGO.
Poles also said that Joe Thuney, a first-team All-Pro offensive guard, is not a permanent solution at left tackle despite Chicago’s decision to move him there following Trapilo’s injury against the Green Bay Packers during Wildcard Weekend.
Bears Can Trade DJ Moore to Open Cap Space for Trent Williams Signing
GettyWide receiver DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.
Thus, if the Bears believe they can compete for a Super Bowl this season, Williams makes sense as an investment.
Chicago, currently $4.1 million over the 2026 salary cap, can clear $16.5 million by trading wide receiver DJ Moore, which would go a long way toward opening up room for Williams.
Williams won’t be cheap after another All-Pro season, particularly given the near certain demand for him from several contenders and the likelihood that a new deal this offseason could be the last big payday of his professional career.
The Bears also have the defense to consider, where they should be able to fill one big hole on either the interior of the D-line or the edge-rush with the No. 25 pick this April. However, Chicago is going to need to pay in free agency for the second big-time player it needs on the defensive front, and the secondary could be an issue as well.
All that said, players like Williams, even at his age, don’t come around often. The Bears need to protect quarterback Caleb Williams and had an elite run game in Johnson’s first year as coach. Williams could be the last piece of an offensive puzzle that catapults the entire unit into elite status and renders the Bears real Super Bowl contenders for the first time in years.
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