Bears sign DE Byron Cowart

The Bears have signed defensive end Byron Cowart to a one-year deal.

The Chicago Bears have signed defensive end Byron Cowart to a one-year deal, the team announced Monday.

Cowart, 27, is a former fifth-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2019. He’s appeared in 36 NFL games, including 14 starts, during his three seasons, where he’s totaled 41 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and one pass breakup.

During his three-year career, Cowart has had stops with the Patriots (2019-20) and Indianapolis Colts (2022).

Defensive end remains one of the biggest needs for the Bears this offseason. While Montez Sweat is in place, the team needs to find a complement opposite him to serve in a rotational role with DeMarcus Walker.

This offseason, Chicago has signed a couple of reserve/rotational options at edge rusher in Jake Martin and now Cowart. But the NFL draft remains a prime opportunity to add an impact edge defender to pair with Sweat.

Bears’ updated salary cap space after first wave of free agency

Following the first week of free agency, here’s where the Bears stand with the salary cap.

The Chicago Bears had a busy first week of free agency, where they welcomed several new faces to the roster via signing and trades.

General manager Ryan Poles added some new weapons in wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett for his new rookie quarterback (to be named). Poles also shored up the defense with the additions of safeties Kevin Byard and Jonathan Owens, along with re-signing star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

Even after all of that, Chicago still has the fifth most salary cap space in the NFL after the first wave of free agency.

According to Over The Cap, the Bears have $30.89 million in cap space, which is behind the Commanders, Patriots, Titans and Eagles. Chicago’s total doesn’t include Gerald Everett, Coleman Shelton, Dante Pettis, Matt Pryor, Brett Rypien, Jake Curhan, Jake Martin or Amen Ogbongbemiga’s contracts — as the full details aren’t out yet. But the Bears are still in a favorable position.

Here’s a look at the individual cap hits for some of Chicago’s new additions:

  • WR Keenan Allen: $23.1 million
  • S Kevin Byard: $6.47 million
  • RB D’Andre Swift: $5.8 million
  • OL Ryan Bates: $4 million
  • S Jonathan Owens: $2.2 million

Heading into the second week of free agency, Poles still has needs on the defensive line, including edge rusher and defensive tackle, and wide receiver. While those positions figure to be focal points in the NFL draft, there are some quality players still left on the board.

Bears WR Keenan Allen had high praise for Caleb Williams

The Bears are expected to draft Caleb Williams next month. His potential new teammate, Keenan Allen, likes what he’s seen from Williams.

The Chicago Bears finally made a quarterback decision, opting to trade Justin Fields and start over with a rookie in the 2024 NFL draft.

The expectation is Chicago will select USC star and Heisman winner Caleb Williams at No. 1. Whether it’s Williams or another rookie, this is an ideal situation for an incoming young quarterback.

General manager Ryan Poles is building a situation ideal for a rookie to step in and find immediate success. There have been upgrades on what looks to be a top-10 defense, as well as a slew of weapons on offense, including Chicago’s newest receiver Keenan Allen, acquired in a recent trade.

Allen, who’s been in Los Angeles during Williams’ two seasons at USC, has been impressed with what he’s seen from the young quarterback.

“Hell of an athlete,” Allen said of Williams. “Obviously, he can make tremendous plays with his feet, with his arm. Looks like he knows the game really well. Really good.”

Following the Justin Fields trade, the Bears will be drafting a rookie with the No. 1 overall pick. Allen believes his presence will help a rookie as he makes the acclimation to the NFL game.

“I know the game. I know the ins and outs, I know the zones, I know how to beat man, I know pretty much how to play the game,” Allen said. “I just think I’m friendly for the quarterback because I’ll be in the right spots. I know how to communicate with him, and my body language is solid, too.”

Justin Fields asked Bears to trade him to Steelers

Bears GM Ryan Poles really did right by Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, ushering in a new era in the Windy City.

While the trade itself wasn’t a surprise, the compensation Chicago received for Fields was a bit shocking. The Bears received a conditional sixth-round pick from the Steelers, which becomes a fourth rounder if Fields plays 51 percent of snaps this season.

Considering there was a belief Chicago could get a Day 2 pick for Fields, it didn’t make a lot of sense. It spoke to the belief around the league about Fields’ value. But it also sounds like destination played a key role, as well.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there were at least four additional teams that inquired about trading for Fields. But Fields asked not to be traded there. He personally wanted to go to Pittsburgh, and that’s exactly what happened.

As for those four additional teams that showed interest, quarterback-needy teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and New England Patriots. Given the Steelers traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, perhaps they were an option, as well.

While Fields won’t begin as the starter, it sounds like Fields wanted to go to a stable organization with the opportunity to start. (It certainly helps that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a fan). He’ll serve as Russell Wilson’s backup, but there could be a chance for him to start and make a statement.

Meanwhile, Bears general manager Ryan Poles made good on his promise to do right by Fields. Not only did he trade him instead of dragging the process out another month, he sent him to the place he wanted.

Five teams, other than Steelers, reached out to Bears about Justin Fields trade

The Steelers weren’t the only team who showed interest in trading for Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears finally made a decision at quarterback, trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick (that turns into a fourth rounder depending on playing time).

While Fields’ trade market never really developed like many, including general manager Ryan Poles, expected, the Bears did gauge some interest for Fields.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the Steelers were one of six teams that reached out to Chicago about Fields — but it sounds like they believed him to be a backup.

In addition to Pittsburgh, there were 5 teams that reached out to the Bears to gauge their interest on a Fields trade, but the majority of those teams envisioned Fields as a backup. Chicago wanted to use the parameters of the Sam Darnold trade (2021 6th, 2022 2nd and 4th) for compensation but had to shift towards a different return after that didn’t get yield a deal from inquiring teams.

On the surface, a conditional sixth-round pick for Fields, when some believed he could garner a second rounder, seems like Poles got fleeced. But the Bears could’ve dragged this out to the NFL draft, where he could’ve taken advantage of a desperate team that misses out on a rookie quarterback. Instead, Poles made good on his promise to do right by Fields and find him a new home as soon as possible.

Now, Fields gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh where he’ll serve as the presumptive backup to Russell Wilson. But there should be an opportunity for Fields to step in should Wilson struggle.

Bears GM Ryan Poles issues statement following Justin Fields trade

The Bears have traded QB Justin Fields to the Steelers. Read GM Ryan Poles’ statement.

The Chicago Bears have finally made a quarterback decision, and it’s one that won’t come as much of a surprise.

The Bears have traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick (that can become a fourth-rounder depending on playing time).

After Fields thanked the city of Chicago and the Bears organization — along with fans and analysts and his former teammates sharing their reactions — we finally heard from general manager Ryan Poles.

Poles released a statement about trading Fields, where he revealed that trade discussions had been ongoing for the past couple of weeks and thanked Fields for his contributions to the Bears.

“We have engaged in multiple trade conversations in recent weeks and believe trading Justin at this time to Pittsburgh is what is best for both Justin and the Bears,” Poles said in a statement. “Today we spoke to Justin to inform him of the trade and the rationale behind it for us as a Club. We want to thank him for his tireless dedication, leadership and all he poured into our franchise and community the last three years and wish him the best towards a long and successful NFL career.”

With Fields now in Pittsburgh, the only question left is which rookie quarterback the Bears will draft with the first overall pick. And the overwhelming belief is that it’ll be Caleb Williams.

Justin Fields reacts following trade from Bears

Former Bears QB Justin Fields thanked the team and fans after being traded to Steelers.

The shoe has finally dropped. After months of deliberation and contentious debate, in the fanbase and within Halas Hall, the trade that was in the works for months was finally settled.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields is being traded to the Steelers in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick, with it possibly turning into a fourth-round pick based on Fields’ playing time in Pittsburgh.

With the fans, media and his fellow teammates all expressing their feelings on the transaction, it didn’t take long for Fields himself to make a statement on his departure from Chicago.

On a post made on X (formerly Twitter), he expressed his gratitude toward the franchise, the fans and his teammates, saying that his fellow Bears players were “the reason I attacked every day the way I did.”

As expected, Fields was all class in saying goodbye to the city that he began his career with. No matter what anyone says of his actual play and his contributions to winning football, there was no doubting his work ethic and love for the game. Fields endured both a terrible supporting cast and terrible coaching in different phases of his Bears career, and still played his heart out every game.

The next month and change will be a whirlwind of speculation, debate and social media meltdowns right up until the Bears are on the clock at the end of April. But, at this moment, Chicago is losing a standout football player, both on and off the field.

Bears are trading QB Justin Fields to Steelers

The Justin Fields era is over in Chicago as the Bears are trading the former first-round pick to the Steelers.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a trade sending quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Chicago receives a 2025 sixth-round pick that turns into a fourth-round pick based on play time.

Fields was drafted by the Bears with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, where they traded a first-round pick to move up from No. 20 with the New York Giants.

In three seasons with Chicago, Fields completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He rushed for 2,220 yards — including 1,143 in 2022 — and 14 touchdowns. Fields had a 10-28 record as a starter.

General manager Ryan Poles made it clear during his NFL Scouting Combine press conference that if the team was going to trade Fields, he wanted to move quickly and “do right by Justin” and not to not leave him waiting to know his future. Unfortunately, it took longer than expected.

Now, Fields has found a new home with the Steelers after the first wave of NFL free agency, where he’ll compete with Russell Wilson for the starting job.

The Bears probably wouldn’t have considered moving on from Fields had they not been sitting in the No. 1 spot with a potential generational talent on the board in Caleb Williams. But with a chance to draft Williams, or another rookie of their choice, it also gives them a chance to reset the rookie quarterback contract.

With Fields now in Pittsburgh, the focus shifts to who Chicago will be drafting with the first overall selection. Williams is the likely pick, but Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels will also likely be in consideration.

Bears agree to terms with DE Jake Martin

The Bears made a move at edge rusher, agreeing to terms with Jake Martin on a one-year deal.

The Chicago Bears have finally made a move at edge rusher — but it’s not a big splash like many were hoping for.

The Bears agreed to terms with defensive end Jake Martin on a one-year deal on Saturday.

Martin, 28, was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He’s appeared in 91 NFL games, including 15 starts, during his six-year career with the Seahawks (2018), Houston Texans (2019-21), Denver Broncos (2022), New York Jets (2022) and Indianapolis Colts (2023).

In six career NFL seasons, Martin has totaled 85 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 18.0 sacks, seven forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four pass breakups.

Martin joins a defensive end group also featuring star Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson and Khalid Kareem. There’s still plenty of work to be done at the position by general manager Ryan Poles — be it in free agency and/or the NFL draft.

New Bears WR Keenan Allen once competed on ‘The Masked Singer’

Turns out, new Bears WR Keenan Allen has quite the voice as evidenced by his stint on “The Masked Singer.”

The Chicago Bears made a splash this offseason by trading for Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, who will help elevate this offense in a huge way.

There’s plenty we’re learning about Chicago’s newest wideout, but I definitely didn’t have talented vocalist on my list. Although I was curious after Bears receiver Dante Pettis told reporters Friday, “You gotta get him to sing.”

Turns out, Allen has quite the singing voice as evidenced by his stint on FOX’s singing competition show, “The Masked Singer,” where performers’ identifies are concealed by costumes until they’re eliminated.

Allen performed as the “Gargoyle,” where he sang hits such as “One Call Away,” “Kryptonite,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” and “Centuries,” where he impressed with his vocal chops.

“I love the show. I’ve seen a bunch of people do it before like T-Pain and Teyana Taylor and just kind of fell in love with their performances,” Allen said, via MARCA.com. “I always wanted to do it. I was wanting to be a part of that experience and, obviously, wanted to show my music side. I have kind of a split personality that goes into a different atmosphere, and being able to shed a light on that side of me is great.”

Here’s a look at Allen’s time on “The Masked Singer.”

Looks like Allen might have a second career as a singer once he’s ready to hang up his cleats — which hopefully isn’t anytime in the near future after joining the Bears.