Chicago Bears’ 3 Most Valuable Free Agency Moves Heading Into 2026

Image Credit: Cleveland Browns. The Bears entered the offseason with several areas that needed to be addressed; one such area of need was the defense as a whole. But will the respective arrivals of players like Devin Bush be seen as desperation or as high-quality moves that will push the needle forward?

With the new league year (and free agency as a result) well underway, teams across the league have made their respective moves to shore up players of interest and understand their needs ahead of the draft.

The Chicago Bears did well to put themselves among the teams that won through the first ten days of the league year. While they did lose a handful of free agents, the additions the team made do serve to minimize the impact felt by any major departures.

I could spend all day heaping praise on the vast majority of Chicago's free agent signings, but here are the three signings that I believe will be the most impactful come Week 1.

Coby Bryant (S)

Last season, the Bears had the 11th-worst pass defence in the NFL, conceding just shy of 4,000 yards over the course of their 17 regular-season games.

Despite losing the likes of C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Nahshon Wright to free agency, Chicago does make up for a considerable portion of that exodus with the arrival of Coby Bryant, who was part of the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning roster from last season.

After a slow start to his career in a statistical sense, Bryant's final two seasons in Seattle saw him take on a much larger role in the defense. In 2024, he recorded a total of 73 tackles, with a 48-25 split between solo and assisted tackles; both of those numbers were career highs at the time. He also recorded three interceptions for 87 return yards and a pick-six.

While his total tackles would take a slight dip from 2024 to 2025, he did record a career-high in assisted tackles. His total interception count would also see a slight increase, though his return yard total took a hit from 2024 to 2025.

With the addition of Bryant comes statistical reinforcement and Super Bowl-winning experience, both of which could very well be crucial if the Bears are to not only repeat their performance from the 2025 season but also push for a berth in the NFC Championship Game.

Devin Bush (LB)

Though the Cleveland Browns weren't the definition of a good team in 2025, their defense was on par with some of the league's better defensive units.

Despite being a middle-of-the-pack team when it came to stopping the run, the Browns had the third-best pass defense in the entire league, behind only the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. That was partially due to Myles Garrett and his record-breaking season, but defenders like Devin Bush did play their part in keeping the Browns competitive on that front.

The Bears, in contrast, were not a great defensive team, particularly when it comes to the passing game. That's even in considering the fact that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen did wonders in helping the Bears get to where they were last season.

That said, Bush might be Chicago's best defensive signing in a good while. And his contract comes at a workable price; the Bears signed Bush to a three-year deal worth $30 million.

In terms of what he brings to the defense, Bush is a fast player (he recorded a 4.43 40-yard dash time during his draft combine) who fits the Bears' need to build a faster and more potent defensive scheme. He recorded two pick-sixes last season while also serving as a strong option when it comes to man-to-man coverage. He also helps the Bears ensure some depth and longevity at the linebacker position, which will be crucial should the injury bug hits Chicago's defense once again.

Personally, I was a big fan of the Browns' defense last season; even when the offense couldn't deliver, the defensive side of the ball consistently put up big numbers and kept the Browns in games. That kind of motivation should become a feature of this Bears defense via the signing of Bush, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Bears become a top-half defensive side as a result.

Kalif Raymond (WR)

There might not be a lot that makes up for the loss of wide receiver D.J. Moore, who had been one of the Bears' most impactful players over the past two seasons. But the arrival of Kalif Raymond should help to partially fill the gap left by Moore.

Of the many wide receivers in the Detroit Lions' offensive system, Raymond might be one of the more under-appreciated contributors from that staff.

While his statistics might not hold up against those of Amon-Ra St. Brown or even Jameson Williams, there is still some value to this signing. Raymond is capable of gaining at least first-down yardage on each completion; he recorded at least 10 yards per completion over the past nine seasons. His highest average yards total came in 2020, where he gained over 20 yards per completion while with the Tennessee Titans.

The addition of Raymond should therefore only serve to reinforce the Bears' threat with regard to explosive plays, which are defined as runs that gain at least 10 yards and passes that gain a minimum of 20 total yards. The Bears were the second-best team in the NFL when it came to explosive plays, recording 127 over the course of the regular season. That total was just shy of the Buffalo Bills and their 129 explosive plays.