The Chicago Bears have gone to great lengths to overhaul their offensive line for the 2025 season, but one former starter — Larry Borom — is bound for warmer weather after agreeing to terms on a new contract early in NFL free agency.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Miami Dolphins are signing Borom — a 2021 fifth-round pick — to a new contract for the 2025 season, taking one of former general manager Ryan Pace’s final draft picks in Chicago off the board for the Bears.
“And another one: Veteran OL Larry Borom is also signing with the #Dolphins, per source,” Pelissero wrote Monday on X.
Borom played in 47 games and made 27 starts at a combination of left and right tackle during his four seasons with the Bears, but he gradually moved from a starting role into a swing tackle role once Ryan Poles’ new front-office regime took over in January 2022.
In 2024, Borom played his fewest offensive snaps (330) and started a career-low four games as an injury replacement for primary left tackle Braxton Jones. According to Pro Football Focus, he also allowed seven sacks and 22 pressures on just 237 pass-blocking snaps in eight games, earning poor grades as a pass-blocker (56.2) and overall (53.8).
Borom was one of the last Pace-era draft picks still on Chicago’s roster. Teven Jenkins, a 2021 second-round pick, has not signed with a new team yet but is an unrestricted free agent. Over the past two offseasons, the Bears have also extended two of Pace’s better draft picks: All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson and tight end Cole Kmet.
The Dolphins have not announced their deal for Borom as he cannot sign his new contract until 4 p.m. ET on March 12 at the official start of the 2025 league year.
Larry Borom Reunites With James Daniels in Miami
A fresh start in Miami could do Borom some good after he fell out of favor in Chicago.
The 25-year-old offensive tackle will also reunite with a familiar face who served as a veteran starter for the Bears during his rookie season in 2021: James Daniels.
According to Pelissero and Rapoport, the Dolphins have also agreed to terms on a three-year, $24 million contract with Daniels, who played his first four seasons with the Bears before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 free agency. He and Borom overlapped in Chicago during the 2021 season before the regime change in 2022.
Which Other Bears Free Agents Have Signed Deals?
Borom is not the only one among the Bears’ 2025 free agents to agree to terms on a new contract for next season in the first few days of the NFL’s legal tampering period.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Houston Texans have agreed to terms on a one-year, $5.25 million contract with defensive end Darrell Taylor, whom the Bears acquired for a 2025 sixth-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks last preseason.
The Bears also have several other notable free agents who should draw interest in the coming days, including their left guard, Jenkins, and wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Chicago may still have plans to negotiate a new contract with Allen, who caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, but his return will hinge both on whether Ben Johnson feels he can add value and whether Allen wants to stay a Bear. The Bears still need a No. 3 receiver behind D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, though, and could reinvest in Allen given his familiarity with quarterback Caleb Williams.
As for Jenkins, the Bears’ overhaul of their offensive line likely signals his departure. The Bears agreed to terms on trades for two new starting guards — All-Pro Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson — ahead of free agency and have little reason to re-sign Jenkins.
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