The Chicago Bears got their quarterback during last year’s NFL draft and just locked up their head coach earlier this week, which leaves the organization with no time or reason to hesitate when it comes to building a winner.
Chicago inked former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for upwards of $13 million per season, landing an offensive and quarterback guru as the next head coach to develop Caleb Williams, whom the Bears drafted first overall last April.
In the interim, Chicago’s front office built from the outside-in, which caused serious problems for Williams when the offensive line began to rack up injuries. The rookie QB was already prone to holding onto the football too long, and the porous unit in front of him exacerbated those issues to the tune of a league-leading 68 total sacks.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN predicted on Tuesday, January 21, that the Bears will focus on the offensive line above all else this offseason, which will lead the team to ink Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith to a significant contract via free agency.
“Chicago is all-in on improving its offense with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach. High on general manager Ryan Poles‘ list of improvements will be an underachieving offensive line. Chiefs free agent guard Trey Smith could be an immediate fit,” Fowler wrote. “Johnson’s offense is well assembled at the skill positions with tight end Cole Kmet, running back D’Andre Swift and wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. But the offensive line was a major problem and [the team will address it]. Free agent guard Kevin Zeitler, a familiar face to Johnson in Detroit, is another option that makes sense.”
Trey Smith Likely to Earn $20 Million Annually in Free Agency
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (left) and starting right guard Trey Smith (right).
The prevailing projections on Smith’s market value all come in at around $80 million over a new four-year deal.
Spotrac projects that Smith, a two-time Super Bowl champion who is playing against the Buffalo Bills in his third consecutive AFC title game on Sunday, is worth $78.8 million over the next four seasons.
Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently projected Smith, the No. 2 free agent on their big board behind only wide receiver Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals, at an even higher figure — $82 million over the next four years with $50 million fully guaranteed.
“Smith’s 78.8 PFF overall grade in the regular season ranked 11th among all guards, and he will still be only 25 years old when free agency opens,” PFF wrote. “That’s a good combination for a big payday, given that multiple players at the position signed deals at or exceeding $20 million per year in 2024.”
Bears Must Do More Than Add Trey Smith to Solidify Offensive Line
GettyKansas City Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith.
If the Bears sign Smith, that will be a huge addition to perhaps the team’s weakest unit on the roster. However, it may not be enough on its own.
Fowler quoted an unnamed personnel evaluator who said that not only is Smith easily the “best option” on the free agent market for Chicago to improve its offensive line, but that the Bears “probably need more than him.”
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens is the only other offensive lineman who cracked PFF’s top-10 list of free agents, coming in at No. 8 with a salary projection of $40 million total over the next two years. It’s unclear if Chicago is looking to immediately replace Braxton Jones at the left tackle spot, of if the team is more interested in shoring up the interior of the unit.
The Bears have the salary cap space to ink a player like Smith and another like Stanley in free agency. However, Chicago also owns three picks in the top 41 of the upcoming NFL draft (Nos. 10, 39 and 41) and could look at a center and another guard early in the second round.
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Bears Predicted to Add Second-Ranked Free Agent on $80 Million Deal