Ben Johnson’s job to turn the Chicago Bears around in year one just got a little bit tougher thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Guard Trey Smith was slated to become a free agent and was atop many people’s list for the Bears to get as they need to urgently repair the offensive line for Caleb Williams and this offense. The Chiefs saw the value of bringing Smith back and locked him down for at least one more season.
BREAKING: The #Chiefs will be placing the franchise tag on Pro Bowl G Trey Smith, sources tell @NFLonFOX. The goal is still to work out a long-term deal, but for now, the tag ensures he stays in Kansas City. Negotiations will continue. pic.twitter.com/N08kyptDlB
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 27, 2025
There are some good options out there, but Smith was a home-run option. Williams was sacked 68 times last season. After the way the Chiefs were terrorized by the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line in the Super Bowl, it’s no surprise they wanted to make sure they got their best lineman back.
The Bears will have some options, but none as good as Smith. That said, no matter who Johnson looks to bring to Chicago, until they repair the offensive line, the Bears will continue to struggle.
Chicago Bears have to be more aggressive after Kansas City Chiefs take top priority out of free agency market
The Bears have to figure out their new game plan when it comes to addressing their offensive line struggles. With Trent Smith off the board, how should the Bears approach free agency now?
On one hand, they could go the route Cincinnati took. Instead of using the NFL Draft to patch the holes on their offensive line, they used the following free agency after drafting Ja’Marr Chase.
Johnson obviously thrives when it comes to having weapons at his disposal. He could be in a similar situation where he can have enough weapons that he can scheme a better offense with the players he has.
Though, that might not work. So Johnson and the front office should look at immediate replacements for Smith. Whether that’s someone like Will Fries, Drew Dalman, Mekhi Becton or even Kevin Zeitler.
They have some great options in free agency and could look to the draft, though that’s not ideal. Losing Smith doesn’t necessarily derail their offseason, it just means they have to be more creative.
That’s Johnson’s specialty. The Bears will figure it out with Johnson at the helm, unfortunately it will just be a little bit tougher than they originally thought.