NFL free agency officially begins on Wednesday, but the Chicago Bears have already agreed to terms with several new players for the 2024 season. That's because teams are allowed to start negotiating with players and their agents two days earlier, on Monday.
Once the deals start coming in, they pretty much don't stop, so it can be hard to keep up. But don't worry, if you want to see all the free-agent additions the Bears have made this off-season, we've got you covered with this tracker. Bookmark this page if you want to follow along since we will update it throughout the offseason!
MONDAY, MARCH 18
BYRON COWART - FREE AGENT DEAL - DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Cowart was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, and since then has played in 36 NFL games with 14 starts. He spent the 2023 season on the Dolphins practice squad. In his 36 career games, Cowart has 41 tackles, one sack and five TFL.
The Bears don't figure to consider Cowart for a major role on the interior of the Bears line. However with only Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens under contract on the active roster for 2024, the team needed to add more players to the mix. Even with Cowart joining the team, the Bears could still add more defensive tackles.
SATURDAY, MARCH 16
Chicago Bears
JAKE MARTIN - FREE AGENT DEAL - EDGE RUSHER
The Bears announced they signed edge rusher Jake Martin to a one-year deal on Saturday.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Martin, 28, has played with five NFL teams over his six-year career in the league. Last season, he played 17 games with the Colts, registering 2.0 sacks, seven tackles, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits.
He adds depth to a Bears defensive line that's still hungry for an elite edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat.
FRIDAY, MARCH 15
DANTE PETTIS - FREE AGENT DEAL - WIDE RECEIVER
Pettis is back with the Bears for the third time. Last year, Pettis was injured most of the offseason training program and the Bears released him with an injury settlement before the regular season began. In 2022 he caught 19 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns.
THURSDAY, MARCH 14
JAKE CURHAN - FREE AGENT DEAL - OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
The Bears signed offensive tackle Jake Curhan, according to his agency.
Curhan, 26, signed as an undrafted free agent out of the 2021 NFL draft. He was the only undrafted free agent of the Seahawks' class to make the active roster.
He's played there for the last three seasons, playing in 29 total games and starting in nine of them. Last season, he gave up 27 pressures and three sacks in seven games, per PFF. He plays predominantly at tackle but has seen time at right guard, too.
COLEMAN SHELTON - FREE AGENT DEAL - OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
On Thursday, the Bears agreed to a one-year contract with center Coleman Shelton.
Shelton, 28, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Rams. He crossed paths with Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron during the 2019 season. Coleman opted out of the 2020 pandemic season but returned to the Rams in 2021.
According to Pro Football Focus, Shelton gave up 34 pressures and two sacks for the Rams last Season. He was graded as PFF's 17th-ranked center for the 2023 season. In 2022, Shelton gave up 11 pressures and one sack while playing all across the interior of the offensive line.
Shelton is now expected to compete with Ryan Bates for the starting center position. The Bears acquired Bates from the Buffalo Bills for a 2023 fifth-round pick.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13
AMEN OGBONGBEMIGA - FREE AGENT DEAL - LINEBACKER
Ogbongbemiga joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and worked primarily as a core special teams player over his three seasons in Los Angeles. Expect the same for Ogbongbemiga in Chicago.
With Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards locked in as the starters in the middle, and Jack Sanborn and Noah Sewell in tow for SAM snaps, Ogbongbemiga's best path to playing time is in the third phase.
BRETT RYPIEN - FREE AGENT DEAL - QUARTERBACK
The Bears signed Brett Rypien to a one-year deal, the team announced.
Rypien, 27, played for three teams last year: the Jets, the Seahawks and the Rams, playing on the practice squads of the former two. He played two games with the Rams, throwing 172 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. He completed 47.4% of his passes in his minimal appearances.
Before becoming a journeyman --- now on his fourth team in one year --- he played understudy for the Broncos for three seasons. In eight career games in Denver, Rypien threw for 778 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He went undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft out of Boise State.
MATT PRYOR - FREE AGENT DEAL - OFFENSIVE LINE
The Bears bolstered their offensive line depth Wednesday by agreeing to sign Matt Pryor to a one-year deal, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago. The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns were the first to report the news.
He was drafted in 2018 by the Philadelphia Eagles. From 2018 to 2020, Pryor played in 27 regular-season games and one postseason game for the Eagles. In 2020, Pryor played six games at right guard, three games at left tackle, and one game at right tackle. Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was on the Eagles staff when they drafted Pryor.
Pryor, 29, is an offensive tackle with guard versatility. He played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 and 2022 where his time overlapped with Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. In 2022, Pryor started the season as the Colts' starting left tackle before shifting to right tackle and then right guard.
He spent last season as a swing offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, playing in six games.
TUESDAY, MARCH 12
JONATHAN OWENS - FREE AGENT DEAL - SAFETY
The Bears have made another addition to their secondary, inking a contract with defensive back Jonathan Owens.
Owens appeared in all 17 games for the Green Bay Packers last season, defending three passes and recording a sack. He also scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery against the Detroit Lions.
He registered a total of nine tackles in two games against the Bears last season.
GERALD EVERETT - FREE AGENT DEAL - TIGHT END
When the Bears hired Shane Waldron to take over as the next offensive coordinator, the expectation was that the Bears would add a primarily pass-catching tight end to the roster to complement Cole Kmet's skillset.
Everett fits that bill. He might not be known for his blocking, but he's adept at making defenders miss and racking up yards after the catch. Over his seven years in the NFL, Everett has 284 receptions for 2,833 yards and 19 touchdowns.
MONDAY, MARCH 11
D’ANDRE SWIFT - FREE AGENT DEAL - RUNNING BACK
According to multiple reports, Swift will come to Chicago to take over as the team’s new lead back. He revitalized his career in Philadelphia last season after a disappointing start to his career in Detroit.
Swift has a better track record of catching the ball out of the backfield than Khalil Herbert and is more elusive than Roschon Johnson. Reports say he’ll sign a three-year, $24 million deal.
SUNDAY, MARCH 10
KEVIN BYARD - FREE AGENT DEAL - SAFETY
The Bears found their replacement for Eddie Jackson with two-time First-Team All-Pro Byard the day before the negotiating window opened up for players on expiring deals. The Eagles released Byard at the beginning of the month, so he was able to get a head start on the rest of the market.
According to multiple reports, the Bears will give Byard a two-year deal worth around $15 million. He’s set to turn 31 this year, but has been one of the most durable playmakers over his career.
Byard has never missed a game due to injury in eight seasons, and has 28 career interceptions to go with three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
READ MORE: What the Byard signing means for Bears' future, quarterback decision
PATRICK SCALES - CONTRACT EXTENSION - LONG SNAPPER
The longest-tenured Bear will stick around another year. Scales is an important piece of the Bears’ special teams unit and always earns praise from his teammates for his ability to put the laces exactly where a holder wants them. A no-brainer extension for the team.
THURSDAY, MARCH 7
JAYLON JOHNSON - CONTRACT EXTENSION - CORNERBACK
Just a couple of days after using the franchise tag on Jaylon Johnson, the Bears reached an agreement with their star cornerback, ending a year-long stalemate. Johnson will now be a cornerstone in the Bears' defense for the near future.
According to Spotrac, Johnson got a four-year, $76 million deal with over $54 million guaranteed. That makes him the seventh-highest-paid cornerback in terms of total money and average annual value. He’s got the fifth-most guaranteed money, however.
