The Chicago Bears have one glaring weakness through eight games this season, the offensive line.
Part of the problem has been health issues, though no member of the unit outside of Teven Jenkins has been consistently near the top of his position game-to-game when healthy. Right guard has been a specific position of concern, as the team has benched former starter Nate Davis — who is playing on a $30 million deal — twice already in 2024 and was unable to trade him at the deadline, despite a willingness to pay some of his remaining contract to do so.
It is near a certainty that the Bears will attempt to upgrade their offensive front next spring, which will likely mean looking for talent both in the NFL draft and during free agency. One player likely to be high on their board is Kansas City Chiefs starting guard Trey Smith, who will become a free agent in March of next year.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently dubbed the two-time Super Bowl champion the No. 2 overall free agent in the 2025 class and also named the Bears as his top potential suitor.
“The 25-year-old is a high-level pass protector who has yet to allow a sack this season, according to Pro Football Focus. As a run blocker, he’s an absolute game-changer,” Knox wrote on Wednesday, November 6. “Smith should be a top target of the Bears, who have a need at right guard and are projected to have $73 million in 2025 cap space available.”
Bears Have Struggled to Protect QB Caleb Williams All Season
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago’s offensive identity has long been as a ground-and-pound team that relies on its defense. The defense is the superior unit again in 2024, and Chicago just paid running back D’Andre Swift a total of $24 million over three years to join the offense last offseason.
That said, pass protection is at a higher premium in the Windy City than it’s been in years after the team drafted quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall back in April. Williams has had his peaks and valleys, but has shown the potential to be a high-level NFL signal caller in the future — assuming the offensive line can protect him.
The unit has done a poor job of that so far this year, allowing opposing defenses to sack the first-year quarterback 29 times through eight games, which equates to an average of more than 3.5 sacks per contest. Williams’ chemistry with top wide receiver DJ Moore has suffered as a result, which renders offensive line upgrades arguably the team’s top priority come next offseason.
Trey Smith Will Be Expensive Wherever He Ends up Next Season
GettyRight guard Trey Smith #65 of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Smith, a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee in 2021, has been a massive value for Kansas City over the past four years while playing on a rookie contract worth just $3.6 million total.
As such, it’s unlikely that the Chiefs will want to let a tentpole of their offensive line get away in free agency. However, the two-time defending champions will continue to face difficult financial decisions as they try to maintain an affordable roster that hasn’t just competed at the top of the sport for the last several years, but often dominated it.
Spotrac projects Smith’s market value at nearly $19 million annually over a new four-year deal ($75.6 million total), which is a premium to pay for an interior offensive lineman. That said, Knox noted the increased value of the offensive guard position across the league, particularly in the context of NFL defenses putting more stock in creating QB pressure from the interior of defensive fronts.
Given the new realities in the league, Smith is a strong candidate for the franchise tag in Kansas City if the Chiefs aren’t able to pay him top money to return on a long-term deal in 2025. However, if he actually gets to free agency, the Bears have the need, motivation and salary cap space to make a run at one of the best offensive guards in the league who is still just 25 years old.
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