Bears To Sign WR Kalif Raymond
Wide receiver/return man Kalif Raymond is moving from Detroit to NFC North rival Chicago. The Bears are signing Raymond, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. It’s a one-year, $5.1MM pact, per Rapaport and colleague Mike Garafolo.
This deal will reunite Raymond with Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who was on the Lions’ staff during the wideout’s first four years in the Motor City. Johnson worked as the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2022-24.
Raymond recorded a career-high 616 receiving yards in Johnson’s first season calling plays. He also accrued his second-most catches (47) that year, though his impact in Detroit’s offense diminished after that. Raymond amassed 35 catches for 489 yards and a touchdown in 2023, his second straight 17-game campaign. He dipped to 17-215-2 over 12 contests in Johnson’s last season with the Lions.
With Johnson moving to Chicago for a promotion in 2025, Raymond experienced a mild uptick in production under the play-calling duo of now-former O-coordinator John Morton and head coach Dan Campbell. In 15 games, Raymond secured 24 of 30 targets for 289 yards and a score.
As a receiver, Raymond wrapped up his five-year Detroit tenure with 171 catches, 2,185 yards (12.8 YPC) and eight TDs. He also made an impact as a return man, twice earning second-team All-Pro honors. He took back three punts for touchdowns as a Lion and led the league in return yards in 2024.
Also a former Bronco, Jet, Giant and Titan, the 31-year-old Raymond will again serve as an auxiliary receiver with his new team. Having traded D.J. Moore to the Bills, the Bears will go forward with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden atop their depth chart. Chicago lost Olamide Zaccheaus to Atlanta on Monday, which created an opening for Raymond.
NFL Announces 2026 Compensatory Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2026 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2025 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 33 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2026 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Vikings (No. 97), Eagles (98), Steelers (99), Jaguars (100, from Lions*)
Round 4: 49ers (No. 133), Raiders (134), Steelers (135), Saints (136), Eagles (137), 49ers (138), 49ers (139), Jets (140)
Round 5: Ravens (No. 173), Ravens (174), Raiders (175), Chiefs (176), Cowboys (177), Eagles (178), Jets (179), Cowboys (180), Lions (181)
Round 6: Steelers (No. 214), Eagles (215), Steelers (216)
Round 7: Colts (No. 249), Ravens (250), Rams (251), Rams (252), Ravens (253), Colts (254), Packers (255), Bronc0s (256), Broncos (257)
By team:
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 4
- San Francisco 49ers: 3
- Dallas Cowboys: 2
- Denver Broncos: 2
- Indianapolis Colts: 2
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2
- Los Angeles Rams: 2
- New York Jets: 2
- Detroit Lions: 1
- Green Bay Packers: 1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 1
- Kansas City Chiefs: 1
- Minnesota Vikings: 1
- New Orleans Saints: 1
* = awarded for Lions DC Aaron Glenn becoming Jets’ HC
The Bears lost a minority executive to a GM role, with Ian Cunningham taking over in Atlanta. But the NFL will not award Chicago two third-round picks for that hire because the Falcons have Matt Ryan positioned as their president of football. Although Cunningham — Chicago’s assistant GM for four years — holds plenty of organizational say, Ryan is atop its front office hierarchy. The Bears disagree with the NFL’s ruling, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.
Bears GM Ryan Poles confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin) the team spoke with the NFL about the matter, but the league did not rule in the team’s favor. Had this decision gone the Bears’ way, they would have received third-round picks in the 2026 and ’27 drafts.
Braxton Jones To Re-Sign With Bears
With Ozzy Trapilo expected to miss much of the 2025 season, the Bears are pivoting to their former starter. Braxton Jones is staying in Chicago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
The parties are in agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $10MM. Despite Jones losing his LT job in a contract year, he will give it another go as a Bear.
Involved in a three-man competition with Trapilo and Theo Benedet in training camp last year, Jones held off the younger blockers to keep his job. But he did not make it through the season in the role. The former fifth-round Bears find lost his job to Benedet in early October, and trade rumors followed Jones in the ensuing weeks. An IR placement, due to a knee injury, ended any trade talk.
Chicago used an IR activation on Jones but did not have the four-year vet active for its divisional-round game, further pointing to a 2026 separation. The Bears kicked Joe Thuney to LT, following the Chiefs’ lead, and used Jordan McFadden at guard against the Rams following Trapilo’s wild-card setback. But Jones will have another chance with Ben Johnson‘s coaching staff soon.
From 2022-24, Jones worked as Chicago’s full-time left tackle. The Southern Utah product started 40 games during those three seasons, holding the job throughout Matt Eberflus‘ time at the helm. Pro Football Focus graded the Division I-FCS product as a top-25 tackle in both 2022 and ’24, assigning him a top-35 placement in 2023. As the Bears changed systems in 2025, PFF viewed Jones — who did not qualify as a regular due to limited playing time — outside the top 70.
A 2025 second-round pick, Trapilo suffered a patellar tendon tear and is expected to be out for most of the season. Benedet is still under contract. The Bears may be prepared to hold a two-man competition for the Week 1 gig, though Benedet logged more starts (eight) than Jones under Johnson last season. The Bears have been dealt multiple unexpected blows in 2026, with Drew Dalman‘s retirement at 27 following the Trapilo news. Chicago traded for Garrett Bradbury to replace Dalman.
Bears To Re-Sign QB Case Keenum
Case Keenum will indeed remain in place with the Bears next season, but he will not do so as a coach (a rumored scenario). The veteran quarterback has agreed to a new contract.
Keenum is set to re-sign on a two-year deal with a base value of $5.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact can max out at $8MM. Keenum could of course still be a coaching candidate in the future, but for now his playing days will continue.
Of this contract, $2.9MM is guaranteed (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). A $750K roster bonus will be due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. Third-stringers rarely carry a roster bonus of any sort, so this is notable. The Bears have Tyson Bagent installed as their backup, and although trade interest has come in on the former UDFA, Bagent is still expected to operate as Caleb Williams‘ caddy in 2026.
This contract positions Keenum to extend his career to 15 seasons. Even as he drifted back to the backup tier to start the 2020s, Keenum has been a coveted option — particularly with regards to leadership. The Bears may well move Keenum to a coaching role at some point, but for now, the soon-to-be 38-year-old passer looks to have at least one more year as a player.
Previously in place as a part-time Texans backup (alongside Davis Mills), Keenum has not thrown a regular-season pass since 2023. Keenum is a veteran of eight NFL teams, having begun his career as a 2012 Texans UDFA. The Houston alum has made 66 career starts. If he is to break into coaching, learning from Ben Johnson would be a good developmental program. David Blough took that route to an OC job at age 30.
His most memorable stretch came as Sam Bradford‘s backup in 2017, when he piloted the Vikings to a 13-3 season and led the NFL in QB DVOA. After sporting a 29:7 TD-INT ratio, Keenum made the “Minneapolis Miracle” throw to Stefon Diggs to elevate the Vikings to their only post-Brett Favre NFC championship game. The Broncos’ subsequent two-year, $36MM starter deal for Keenum — as they passed on Josh Allen weeks later in a loaded 2018 QB draft — did not pan out, and after a 2019 Washington stay, Keenum has toured a few cities (Cleveland, Buffalo, Houston, Chicago) as a backup.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears To Sign LB Devin Bush
The Bears briefly needed a starting linebacker after releasing Tremaine Edmunds last week. They will fill the void with former Brown Devin Bush, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Bush is signing a three-year, $30MM contract with $21MM in guarantees.
The Bears will already be Bush’s fourth team since he entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick in 2019. The former Michigan Wolverine spent his first four years with the Steelers before a one-season stop in Seattle. He was a Brown for two years. Cleveland wanted to retain Bush, but it will have to look elsewhere.
Although Bush started in 48 of 52 games with the Steelers, he was not a hot commodity in free agency in 2023. The Seahawks landed him on a deal worth up to $3.5MM, and Bush wound up with a higher snap share on special teams than as a defender. The Browns relied far more on Bush, whom they signed to back-to-back one-year contracts.
Bush is now reeling in a far richer payday with the Bears, who have been aggressive at the outset of free agency. They previously agreed to pacts with former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant and ex-Colts defensive lineman Neville Gallimore. The club also agreed to re-sign linebacker D’Marco Jackson. He will provide depth behind Bush.
After the first 17-start season of his career in 2025, Bush will team with T.J. Edwards to comprise Chicago’s top two linebackers in 2026. The soon-to-be 28-year-old Bush registered career highs in tackles (125), passes defensed (eight), interceptions (three) and sacks (two) last season. He returned two of those INTs for touchdowns and recorded a league-high 164 return yards on his picks.
In addition to Bush’s gaudy traditional numbers, Pro Football Focus ranked his performance an eye-opening fourth among 88 qualifying linebackers in 2025. The Bears will bank on Bush carrying his breakout from Cleveland to the Windy City.
Bears To Sign S Coby Bryant
Safety Coby Bryant is leaving the Super Bowl champion Seahawks for the Bears, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Chicago is handing Bryant a three-year, $40MM contract, per veteran insider Jordan Schultz.
The NFC North-winning Bears deployed Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard as their top safeties last season, but both are free agents after playing almost every defensive snap in 2025. Effective in-season acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson is also without a deal. The uncertainty surrounding those three left safety as an obvious area to address for general manager Ryan Poles. He has done it in adding PFR’s 28th-ranked free agent.
During their resurgent 2025, the Bears led the NFL in both takeaways (33) and interceptions (23). The 32-year-old Byard picked off seven passes en route to first-team All-Pro honors. Bryant’s numbers were not as gaudy, but the 26-year-old had a big season in his own right. Across 15 games (all starts), the former slot corner logged 66 tackles, seven passes defensed, four TFL and a career-best four INTs. He chipped in another 10 tackles and two PDs during the Seahawks’ three victories in the playoffs.
Bryant, who has combined for seven picks since 2024, ranked 27th among Pro Football Focus’ 91 qualifying safeties last season. He graded among the top 30 safeties in both coverage and run defense. Despite a penchant for taking the ball away, the Bears ranked 22nd against the pass and 27th versus the run. Bryant helped the Seahawks to third and 10th in those respective categories.
Although Bryant is a noteworthy loss for Seattle, the team is still in good shape at safety. Julian Love, Ty Okada and Nick Emmanwori are all more than capable of handling the position. However, Bryant may not be the first major defensive back the club loses. Cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen remain unsigned two hours after the negotiating window opened.
Bears, DT Neville Gallimore Agree To Deal
Neville Gallimore‘s next NFL gig has been lined up. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to terms with the Bears on a two-year, $12MM deal, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career in Dallas, where he served as a depth piece on the defensive line. He had four sacks across his four years with the Cowboys, and he wasn’t retained following the conclusion of his rookie pact.
He spent most the 2024 season with the Rams, where he tallied 19 tackles in 14 games (four starts). He had a standout showing in the playoffs that year, collecting 2.5 sacks in two games.
He caught on with the Colts last offseason and had one of the most productive seasons of his career, finishing with career-highs in tackles (38) and sacks (3.5). Despite the numbers, Pro Football Focus only ranked him 75th among 127 qualifying interior defenders, although the site did appreciate his pass-rush ability.
Gallimore will look to carry over his production to Chicago. He’ll be joining a depth chart that currently features Grady Jarrett and former second-round pick Gervon Dexter. This signing could signal that the team’s set to move on from free agent DT Andrew Billings.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears, LB D’Marco Jackson Agree To Deal
The Bears will be without Tremaine Edmunds in 2026. Fellow linebacker D’Marco Jackson will remain in the fold, however.
Jackson has agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His new Bears contract is two years in length and it has a base value of $7.5MM. The pact can max out at $10.5MM, Rapoport adds. Today’s deal is now official.
Jackson will earn a solid raise after upping his stock last year in Chicago, which added him as a waiver claim in August. The Saints cut Jackson after the 2022 fifth-rounder from Appalachian State was unable to carve out a role in their defense. Jackson spent his rookie year on injured reserve and then played almost exclusively on special teams from 2023-24.
Edmunds and T.J. Edwards missed various periods with injuries last season, leaving Jackson to take on more defensive responsibilities. Across 17 games (four starts) and a career-high 261 defensive snaps, Jackson totaled 43 tackles, three passes defensed, a sack and an interception. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Week 15. The 27-year-old logged nine tackles, a sack and a pick in a 31-3 blowout of the Browns.
Although Edmunds is now a Giant, Jackson will once again function as a reserve next season. The Bears will use Edwards and Devin Bush as their top two linebackers. They agreed to sign Bush, previously a Brown, to a three-year, $30MM deal on Monday.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears To Re-Sign Daniel Hardy
The Bears have reached an agreement to re-sign restricted free agent defensive lineman Daniel Hardy, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. It’s a two-year, $4.97MM pact with $2.45MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap.
Hardy, a Montana State product, entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick of the Rams in 2022. After suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason, Hardy spent the majority of his rookie campaign on injured reserve. He returned late in the year to appear in six games, record four tackles and total 169 snaps (128 on special teams, 41 on defense).
Hardy did not make the Rams’ roster in his second season, but he quickly caught on with the Bears’ practice squad. While Hardy did not see any action in his first year in Chicago, he has since posted back-to-back 17-game seasons. Hardy has amassed just 85 defensive snaps with the Bears, but the 27-year-old has evolved into a core special teamer.
Last season was the second in a row in which Hardy led the Bears in special teams snap share. He played 77.85% of snaps and made the league’s sixth-most ST tackles (19) in 2025.
2026 NFL Trades
The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. Early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. As the NFL resides in window No. 1 for 2026, it is a good time to check in on what has already transpired on the market.
Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2026:
February 26
- Titans trade DT T’Vondre Sweat to Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson
March 2
- Browns to acquire OL Tytus Howard from Texans for No. 141
- Texans to obtain RB David Montgomery from Lions for OL Juice Scruggs, No. 128, 2027 seventh-round pick
March 4
- Rams to acquire CB Trent McDuffie from Chiefs for Nos. 29, 168, 210, 2027 third-round pick
March 5
- Bills to add WR D.J. Moore, No. 165 from Bears in exchange for No. 60
March 6
- Bears to acquire C Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 fifth-round pick
- Ravens to land OLB Maxx Crosby from Raiders for No. 14, 2027 first-round pick
Ravens nixed trade March 10, failing Crosby on a physical
March 7
- Packers to add LB Zaire Franklin from Colts for DT Colby Wooden
March 8
- Raiders to obtain CB Taron Johnson, No. 228 from Bills for No. 182
March 9
- Jets to acquire S Minkah Fitzpatrick from Dolphins for No. 238
- Cowboys to land OLB Rashan Gary from Packers for 2027 fourth-round pick
- Steelers to add WR Michael Pittman Jr., No. 230 from Colts for No. 214
March 10
- Jets to acquire QB Geno Smith, No. 228 from Raiders for No. 182
- Texans to obtain P Kai Kroeger, 2028 seventh-round pick from Saints for 2028 sixth-rounder
March 11
- Titans to add DL Solomon Thomas, No. 225 from Cowboys for No. 218
- 49ers to acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa from Cowboys for No. 92
March 16
- Chiefs to acquire QB Justin Fields, 2026 seventh-round pick to Jets for 2027 sixth-rounder
March 17
- Broncos to land WR Jaylen Waddle, No. 111 from Dolphins for Nos. 30, 94, 130
March 18
- Eagles to obtain QB Andy Dalton from Panthers for 2027 seventh-round pick
March 20
- Falcons to acquire S Sydney Brown, Nos. 122, 215 from Eagles for Nos. 114, 197