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Bears Sign No. 39 Pick Luther Burden To Fully Guaranteed Rookie Contract

July 18th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

No. 39 pick Luther Burden is signing a 100% fully guaranteed rookie contract with the Bears, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, becoming the latest pick in the history of the draft to do so.

News of Burden’s deal came two hours after No. 37 pick Jonah Savaiinaea received a fully guaranteed contract from the Dolphins, continuing a cascade of second-round pick signings as teams being to gather for training camp. Burden, once a projected first-round pick, will still secure a fully guaranteed rookie deal after falling into the second round.

All eyes will now turn to No. 40 pick Tyler Shough. His holdout for a fully guaranteed deal as the Saints’ projected starting quarterback is one of the main reasons that so many second-rounders remained unsigned by their rookie reporting dates. Now that every pick ahead of Shough has signed a fully guaranteed deal – except for Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins, who is facing a misdemeanor battery charge in Florida – the 25-year-old quarterback should be able to extract similar terms from the Saints.

The Bears’ rookie class is due to report on Friday, and after reaching an agreement with the team on a four-year, $10.965MM contract, Burden will be among them. The former Missouri standout will now compete with a deep group of pass-catchers for targets in Ben Johnson‘s new-look offense.

Bears, Second-Round OT Ozzy Trapilo Agree To Deal

July 17th, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

After agreeing to terms with second-round defensive lineman Shemar Turner earlier today, the Bears have now inked another one of their three Round 2 picks. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears have a “deal in place” with offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo.

[RELATED: Bears, Second-Round DL Shemar Turner Agree To Terms]

Around the league, a number of second-round picks remain unsigned as they push for more guaranteed money. Albert Breer of TheMMQB reports that Trapilo got the first two seasons of his four-year rookie pact guaranteed. The third season of that deal is 72 percent guaranteed. This is a slightly better arrangement than Turner, who only got a 35-percent guarantee on that third year.

Trapilo established himself as one of the top offensive tackles in the nation during his time at Boston College After earning second-team All-ACC honors in 2023, he got a first-team nod in 2024. Those performances helped make him the 56th-overall pick in this year’s draft. The lineman played on both sides of the offensive line during his time with the Eagles, and there’s a chance the Bears capitalize on that versatility in the NFL.

While the interior of Chicago’s offensive line should consist of all newcomers in 2025, the Bears still have holdovers Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright penciled in at the tackle spots. However, Jones is still recovering from the fractured fibula he suffered towards the end of last season, and there are rumblings that he’ll be a limited participant during training camp. That would provide an opening for the rookie to step in and run with the hob.

As second-round picks around the league remain unsigned, the Bears have made some progress today signing their rooks. Focus will now turn to receiver Luther Burden (39th overall), who represents Chicago’s final unsigned draft pick.

Bears, Second-Round DL Shemar Turner Agree To Terms

July 17th, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Alfred Collins became only the third second-round pick from this year’s draft to sign his rookie deal yesterday. Another defensive lineman taken in that round has now done the same.

 Shemar Turner and the Bears have agreed to terms, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Texas A&M product was selected 62nd overall. That slot has seen 52.9% and 52.6% of the four-year contract guaranteed over the past two years (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).

Full details with respect to guarantees in this case are unknown at this point, but it certainly stands to reason Turner will not receive his entire pact fully locked in. Indeed, a 35% guarantee for the third year of the contract has been included in this agreement, Mike Klis of 9News reports. It will be interesting to see if that helps to serve as another benchmark for the other second-rounders who have yet to sign with training camps looming.

Turner spent four years with the Aggies, and he posted six sacks during his junior campaign. Expectations were high for a repeat of that production last year, but he only managed a pair of sacks and six tackles for loss (after recording 11 the previous season). Still, Turner was one of several highly-regarded interior defenders in the 2025 class, and it came as little surprise when he was selected in the second round.

The Bears added Grady Jarrett in free agency, and the longtime Falcon will handle starting duties with his new team. Chicago also has the likes of Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens and Andrew Billings in place along the defensive line. Turner will look to carve out a rotational role during his rookie season and develop into a notable contributor over time.

Chicago still has two more second-rounders to sign over the coming days: receiver Luther Burden (taken 39th overall) and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (56th). With Turner’s pact taken care of, the team will look to get the other two signed before Saturday’s rookie reporting date for training camp.

Bears TE Colston Loveland On Shoulder Recovery

July 14th, 2025 at 11:39am CST by Adam La Rose

The rehab process from an AC joint sprain cost Colston Loveland time during spring practices. The Bears rookie will soon receive clarity on his participation outlook in training camp.

“It’s been good. There haven’t really been live bullets flying yet,” Loveland said at a youth football camp in Michigan this weekend (via MLive’s Aaron McMann). “We’ll really know in camp once I get out there, doing a lot more stuff.”

Surgery on his right shoulder put Loveland in position to be fully cleared in time for the start of the regular season. Last month, head coach Ben Johnson said the No. 10 pick is expected to receive a clean bill of health at some point during training camp, which in the Bears’ case will see rookies report this Saturday. The team will no doubt proceed with caution in this situation, but continued progress in the rehab process will be welcomed by all parties.

Loveland’s latest comments suggest he has not encountered any setbacks to date. His limited action in spring drills consisted of non-padded practices, however, so training camp participation will be notably different. It will be interesting to see if his next medical evaluation reveals any cause for a delay in Loveland receiving full clearance sometime this summer.

Chicago already has Cole Kmet in place at the tight end spot for 2025 and beyond, but Loveland will be expected to contribute as a pass-catcher at the position early and often in his career. The All-Big 10 performer’s ability to do that will of course be impacted by his involvement in training camp and the preseason. As a result, it will be interesting to see when he receives the green light for a full workload this summer.

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement 

2016

2017

2018

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

Bears To Extend GM Ryan Poles

July 11th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ryan Poles is set to remain in place for years to come. The Bears reached agreement on an extension with their general manager Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Poles had two years remaining on his deal, but today’s agreement will add to his tenure in the Windy City. Poles is now under contract through 2029. That lines his pact up with that of new head coach Ben Johnson. This move comes as little surprise given the confidence shown this year in Poles, 39, by team president Kevin Warren.

Hired in 2022 alongside Matt Eberflus, Poles has overseen a number of roster changes during his tenure. The team has not developed as hoped over the past three years – posting a combined record of 15-36 over that span – and Eberflus did not make through the 2024 campaign. As Johnson aims to provide Chicago with long-term stability on the sidelines, though, Poles will remain in place to continue the rebuild he has undertaken since his arrival from a lengthy tenure with the Chiefs.

Of course, the focal point of that process will be the development of Caleb Williams. Poles worked out a blockbuster trade with the Panthers in 2023 which allowed Carolina to move up to No. 1 in that year’s draft and select Bryce Young. One the of elements of that trade was that Chicago owned the Panthers’ top choice in 2024, which wound up being the first overall selection. Taking advantage of the opportunity to start over under center after three years with Justin Fields in place, Poles traded Fields and drafted Williams last spring.

A number of moves made last offseason – such as the acquisition of wideout Keenan Allen and running back D’Andre Swift – were aimed at easing Williams’ acclimation to the NFL. Questions lingered about the state of Chicago’s offensive line entering the campaign, however, and (in part due to that unit’s play) Williams took a league-leading 68 sacks. One of Poles’ key goals this year was to shore up the interior of the Bears’ O-line, and he landed guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trade. Each signed extensions tying them to the team through 2027, which is also the length of center Drew Dalman‘s free agent deal.

Adding further pass-catching options during the draft, Poles selected tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and receiver Luther Burden in the second. The latter will join a WR room led by D.J. Moore – part of the package which went to Chicago in the Young blockbuster – as well as 2024 top-10 selection Rome Odunze. At the tight end spot, Loveland will form a tandem with Cole Kmet, who is among the players Poles has extended on long-term deals during his tenure.

On defense, Chicago’s secondary has been the target for multiple lucrative deals. Over the past two offseasons, Poles has authorized extensions for cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and they will remain key members of a defense led by edge rusher Montez Sweat and the Tremaine Edmunds–T.J. Edwards tandem at linebacker moving forward. Chicago’s defense has improved in terms of points allowed during each of the past three years, but after ranking 13th in 2024 there is still room for another step forward from the unit.

Of course, Poles’ time in charge has included notable misses as well. The prime example on that front is the second-round pick traded to the Steelers for receiver Chase Claypool in 2022. Claypool showed promise during his time in Pittsburgh, but he made a total of just 18 catches with the Bears. He was dealt in 2023 to the Dolphins as part of a Day 3 pick swap, an illustration of the extent to which the initial move on Poles’ part did not pan out.

The NFC North sent three teams to the postseason in 2024, and expectations will be high once more in the division this year. Coming off a 5-12 campaign, Chicago will look to take a step forward and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Failure to do so may have fueled speculation about a 2026 GM change, but today’s news ensures Poles’ job security for at least the intermediate future.

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Bears DE Austin Booker Primed For Breakout Season

July 9th, 2025 at 8:26pm CST by Ely Allen

Chicago’s biggest free agent signings this offseason were on their defensive and offensive fronts. Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and center Drew Dalman all earned three-year contracts with values north of $40MM. Odeyingbo will now line up across from Montez Sweat on the ends of the defensive line, which will force a promising, young second-year player to come off the bench in his sophomore campaign.

According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Austin Booker seems primed for a breakout season in 2025. A fifth-round rookie last year, Booker didn’t get any starts in his first season, but he became an important member of the defensive line rotation early and often throughout the year. In the first half of the season, he frequently was on the field for a third of the team’s defensive snaps, twice seeing the field for nearly half of the defense’s snaps in games. In his limited time, he tallied 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss.

Booker benefits most this year from a lack of depth at the position. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and second-round rookie Shemar Turner both have the flexibility to kick outside in bigger formations, but behind Sweat and Odeyingbo, Booker is competing as a true edge rusher with Dominique Robinson, Xavier Carlton, Daniel Hardy, and Jamree Kromah. Robinson has more experience than Booker, but in three years, he’s struggled to stay on the field and struggled to make an impact whenever he is available. Carlton is impressive but has much to prove as an undrafted free agent rookie. Hardy was a special teamer for most of last year, and Kromah was an undrafted rookie who failed to ever see the field in 2024.

While Booker didn’t jump off the stat sheet in Year 1, he showed lots of promise. With a lack of serious competition behind him, Booker is primed to enter training camp as the first defensive end off the bench. If he can hold that position going into the regular season, the 22-year-old should have plenty of opportunities to get on the field and make a name for himself in Year 2.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Bears LB Ruben Hyppolite In Contention For Starting Spot

July 5th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear an open competition would take place for the weakside linebacker position. Training camp will of course be critical in determining a winner, but an early standout emerged during spring practices.

[RELATED: Bears Not Eyeing Late Pass Rush Signing?]

Ruben Hyppolite impressed the team’s coaching staff during minicamp and OTAs, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin writes. T.J. Edwards missed time due to a soft tissue injury, something which allowed Hyppolite to receive considerable reps with the starting defense. The fourth-round rookie primarily played at middle linebacker in college, but his early showings at the weakside spot were encouraging.

“He’s done a great job adjusting to that speed as we’ve gone through, and that’s going to have to show up once we do get the pads on,” Johnson said of Hyppolite. “But I think he’s been improving every single day, and really, we’re hoping that course continues.”

Over the course of his five years at Maryland, Hyppolite topped 60 tackles on three occasions. His pre-draft testing included a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, and translating that speed to the NFL will be key in his efforts to secure a starting gig right away. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are set to reprise their first-team roles in 2025, and both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals.

For the coming campaign and beyond, though, the Bears will need to find a consistent producer at the third LB spot. Johnson and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will spend training camp and the preseason evaluating Chicago’s options to replace Jack Sanborn, which also include Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Swayze Bozeman. Hyppolite will be worth monitoring as the summer unfolds as he looks to continue his early bid to win the competition.

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