The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of NFL free agency, where general manager Ryan Poles will look to retool arguably the league’s worst roster from last season.
Luckily, Poles has the resources to bring in some impact players. The Bears are estimated to have roughly $100 million in salary cap space, which is the most in the NFL by a wide margin.
While Chicago will look to add some new faces to the roster, they have some in-house free agents that could factor into their plans for the 2023 season.
The Bears don’t have many noteworthy pending free agents, but here’s a look at those who the team could consider re-signing.
10
WR N'Keal Harry
The Bears took a flier on Harry when they traded a seventh-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for the former first-round wideout. While Harry boasted impressive size and showed chemistry with Justin Fields, he suffered a significant ankle injury during training camp that kept him out until October. Harry tallied just seven catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in eight games. Still, it doesn’t seem likely that the two sides will reunite in 2023.
9
OT Riley Reiff
Reiff was signed to a one-year deal to compete for a starting job and provide valuable experience and depth at tackle. He didn’t start the season at right tackle, but he ultimately took the job from Larry Borom. The Bears will be looking to upgrade at the tackle position, so bringing Reiff back isn’t a top priority. But he could do well in a reserve role — at a reasonable rate — especially after Poles praised Reiff for setting the tone last season. But Reiff is 35 years old and was still available last July. It’s a possibility, but not a guarantee.
8
OL Michael Schofield
Schofield was signed last summer to serve as an experienced veteran for a questionable offensive line. He wound up serving as the primary backup along the interior of the offensive line, playing both left and right guard when Cody Whitehair and Teven Jenkins were sidelined by injury. Schofield isn’t a must-sign for Chicago, especially as the team will look to free agency and the draft to shore up the offensive line. But he is a nice depth option, if they want him back.
7
C Sam Mustipher
Mustipher has been a point of contention among Bears fans due to his struggling play. Mustipher has started all but one game in the last two seasons at center, and that experience is valuable. But he won’t be the starting center going into 2023, which puts his future in question. Mustipher, a restricted free agent, could find a starting job in the free agent market, where the Bears will have the option to match another team’s offer. But Chicago likely won’t prioritize re-signing Mustipher as they’ll look elsewhere to upgrade.
6
DT Armon Watts
The Bears claimed Watts off waivers after he was cut by the Vikings before the 2022 season. Watts served as a mainstay along the defensive interior, where he quickly passed Angelo Blackson on the depth chart opposite Justin Jones. But Watts didn’t have a standout year as part of the NFL’s worst defensive line. But with Matt Eberflus implementing a rotation along the defensive line, bringing back Watts as a rotation piece and depth option is certainly a possibility.
5
LS Patrick Scales
Scales has been with the Bears since 2015, and he was one of the few in-house free agents Poles opted to bring back last season. Scales is coming off another solid year with Chicago, where he was the only Bears player to earn a single All-Pro vote in 2022. While Chicago could choose to draft a young guy to replace him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Poles re-sign Scales to another cheap, one-year deal and keep together the special teams unit of Cairo Santos, Trenton Gill and Scales.
4
FB Khari Blasingame
Blasingame was the first fullback on the Bears roster since 2018, and he served a key role in the success of Chicago’s top-ranked rushing attack despite not recording a single stat. Blasingame helped open up holes for Montgomery and Herbert, and he was a big reason why Chicago averaged over 150 rushing yards per game. Given the importance of the run game in this offense, it certainly feels like that the Bears will look to bring back Blasingame, unless they find another option.
3
S DeAndre Houston-Carson
Houston-Carson has been one of the longest-tenured veterans on the team, and there’s a reason Poles brought him back on a one-year deal. Not only is Houston-Carson a leader on special teams, but he’s a key reserve at safety. After Jackson went down for the year in Week 11, Houston-Carson started the final six games of the season opposite Brisker. Given Houston-Carson’s contributions on defense and special teams, it feels like another sure bet that he’ll be back in 2023, if the price is right for both parties.
2
LB Nicholas Morrow
Morrow signed a one-year deal with the Bears, where he served as a key contributor on defense. Morrow led the team in tackles, and he set career highs in combined tackles (116), solo tackles (83) and tackles for loss (11). He was an underrated contributor on defense, especially against the run, and wasn’t helped by a weak defensive line in front of him. Poles has a decision to make at linebacker, where he could go out and sign a veteran, draft a young player to develop or both. But bringing back Morrow, who you could have at an affordable price, makes it easier to address bigger needs on the roster.
1
RB David Montgomery
Montgomery has been a key contributor on offense since being drafted by Chicago in 2019. But he had an average season in Luke Getsy’s offense — where Khalil Herbert outplayed him — with 801 rushing yards for 4 yards per carry. Still, Montgomery was key in short yardage situations, the passing game and in pass protection, which is where Herbert lacks. Poles made it clear he wants to re-sign Montgomery — and Montgomery wants to return — but it’s all a matter of whether or not they find common ground on an extension.
