Four questions for the Bears to answer at this week's NFL Scouting Combine
The Bears are going to Indiana — for the week, at least.
While the organization continues to negotiate with politicians from both Illinois and Indiana
to try to score the best deal possible for their new stadium site, members of the Bears front office and coaching staff will descend upon the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Bears coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles will meet the media Tuesday just blocks from the Indiana statehouse. At issue won’t be building a stadium, but the next step in what the Bears hope is a Super Bowl contender.
Here are four things to watch this week:
How will the Bears get under the salary cap?
The Bears sit $4.1 million above the 2026 salary cap of $303.5 million, per Over the Cap, and have until the first day of the league year next month to get under it.
Of the many ways for the Bears to get there, the cleanest would be to cut linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and save $15 million. Edmunds ranked second among all NFL linebackers in interceptions last year but the Bears fared well in his four-game injury absence, with backup D’Marco Jackson winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The Bears could also restructure the contracts of receiver DJ Moore, guard Joe Thuney, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and others to find extra cap space.
Speaking of Moore: Johnson and Poles will have a chance Tuesday to make a clear statement about how they value the receiver after he was part of what quarterback Caleb Williams called a miscommunication on the overtime interception against the Rams.
The Bears have praised Moore’s toughness and intelligence for years, but he’s coming off his worst statistical season with the team and has a $28.5 million salary cap hit in each of the next two years. The Bears won’t cut him, but he could be a trade candidate if they decide to go in a different direction.
What to do at No. 25?
The last time the Bears arrived at the Combine without either a brand-new head coach or possession of the No. 1 overall draft pick was 2020. This year, then, will be different — picking 25th overall, the Bears will be at the mercy of how the draft board breaks in front of them.
The Bears will need an edge rusher and a defensive tackle regardless of what happens in free agency, as well as someone to play left tackle in place of the injured Ozzy Trapilo. They could look to add a safety — or two — if both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker leave via free agency. The Bears want Byard back. Cornerback could be in play if Nahshon Wright goes elsewhere, too.
Good news for the Bears: the draft is considered strong — and deep — at offensive tackle, defensive end and defensive tackle.
How about a trade?
Trade seeds get planted when teams — and agents — gather at the Combine.
The Bears solved two of their biggest needs in the days after the Combine last year when they traded draft picks for two guards — Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson — who went on to post exceptional seasons.
All the NFL will be searching for clarity about whether Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby will be made available in a trade. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams appeared on Crosby’s podcast last week and praised both Johnson and Bears fans.
And what about the staff?
The Bears lost two offensive assistants to coordinator jobs this offseason. Declan Doyle took the same job with the Ravens, where he will be able to call plays. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy became the Chiefs’ coordinator, though he won’t call plays.
The Bears promoted pass-game coordinator Press Taylor to offensive coordinator and hired Eric Studesville as running backs coach. This week will provide Johnson with the first chance to explain why he hired them — and how he plans to continue the momentum on his side of the ball.