Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have the Chicago Bears thinking about a possible Super Bowl run in 2026, but there are a few things they need to do first in order to win the Lombardi Trophy. Well, we’ve got some moves in mind.
FOX Sports NFL writer Greg Auman had the Bears landing four players in his top 100 free agents list earlier this week. Three of those players were actually additions from other teams, while Auman has the Bears re-signing a key player in their secondary.
Chicago is currently about $5 million over the salary cap, per Over The Cap. So, they’ve got some work to do before free agency.
But let’s take a closer look at Auman’s four free-agent predictions for the Bears.
Sign Browns OT Cam Robinson
(85th-best free agent, fourth-best offensive tackle free agent)
Auman’s thoughts: “Robinson, 30, has played for four teams in the last two seasons, and was twice traded before finishing 2025 in Cleveland. He’s gone from franchise tags to a $12 million contract last year, and he’ll likely take less than that as he searches for some stability. He has 114 career starts, and that kind of experience makes him a known commodity, which is valuable at tackle. Could the Bears, with injury concerns for at least the start of 2026, be a good match?”
(60th-best free agent, sixth-best linebacker free agent)
Auman’s thoughts:“Davis, still going at 37, managed to set a career high with 143 tackles for the Saints in 2025. He’s at an age where linebackers rarely exist, let alone play as actively as he does, and he’s hinted he’ll not only play again but test the free-agent waters. Davis deserves to finish with a contender — 227 career regular-season games, but only five in the playoffs, and two wins at that. He’s had six straight seasons with at least 1,000 defensive snaps, a model of durability at a demanding position.”
Re-sign S Kevin Byard
(44th-best free agent, fourth-best free agent safety)
Auman’s thoughts: “Byard, 32, led the NFL with seven interceptions. He also led the league in 2017, and this year earned him not only his third Pro Bowl but his third first-team All-Pro honor as well. He went to Chicago on a two-year, $15 million deal and probably will get a bit less than that on age, but he set the tone on a defense predicated on takeaways, so keeping him on a one-year deal wouldn’t be bad at all for the Bears, who won’t be able to keep their talented secondary intact.”
(Fourth-best free agent, best free agent edge rusher)
Auman’s thoughts: “Hendrickson, 31, doesn’t have the luster he had a year ago. Instead of coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons and four straight Pro Bowls, he’s now coming off core muscle surgery in December that limited him to four sacks in seven games in 2025. He got a one-year, $29 million deal from the Bengals last year, but isn’t likely to draw as much this time around. ESPN has him as the league’s No. 1 overall free agent, but will he get more than one year guaranteed, and at much more than $20 million a year? He needs 19 sacks to reach 100 for his career and could easily get that in two more healthy seasons.”
