With a new coaching staff and the inherent new standard in place, the list of Chicago Bears' players who have a lot to prove this year can get quite long as you flesh out that endeavor. Some are not at all guaranteed to have the same role they had last year, as head coach Ben Johnson and his staff entertains the concept of "may the best man win."
For a segment of those Bears' players with a lot to prove this year, there are future contract implications in play. Some may have to stave off the idea of being a 2026 cap casualty with improved performance, while others are literally going to be free agents next March.
On that latter front, these four Bears players will be playing for a contract in 2025.
4 Chicago Bears players who will be playing for a contract in 2025
4. DT Andrew Billings
Billings missed the final nine games last season due to a torn pectoral, and the Bears' run defense (and defense as a whole, truly) suffered in his absence. Now healthy, the big man should play a key role in Dennis Allen's new defensive scheme as primarily a one or zero-technique nose tackle.
Entering his 10th season and at 31 years old by the time 2026 free agency comes, Billings is on the back side of his career. But he is a key cog on the Bears' defensive line, and even without splashy numbers he could get a nice contract from someone next March if he can stay healthy.
3. LT Braxton Jones
Jones has been "fine" as the Bears' primary left tackle over the last three seasons. But he also missed noticeable time for the second straight season last year, and the recovery from his ankle injury late last season kept him out of OTAs. Rookie Ozzie Trapilo has a legit shot to replace him protecting Caleb Williams' blindside, and second-year man Kiran Amegadjie also seems to be in the mix.
Jones should be ready to go for training camp, with a real battle to keep his starting job looming as a major storyline. Winning the job (or not) and keeping it all season based on performance/health (or not) will have financial implications for the 2022 fifth-round pick.
2. S Kevin Byard
Nearing his 32nd birthday (August 17), Byard remains one of the most well-rounded, productive and durable safeties in the league. Last year, in his first season with the Bears, he set a career-high with 130 total tackles along with seven pass breakups and a top-10 PFF run defense grade at the position.
Byard's PFF coverage grades have dropped off over the last two years, and for whatever that's worth his interception totals have eroded too (just two over the last two seasons). But that's getting a little nit-picky about an otherwise solid resume.
Byard is entering the final year of the two-year deal he signed with the Bears in 2024. He has said he'd like to finish his career in Chicago, but he also knows it's not entirely up to him based on where he is in his career.
"Like I said, for me personally, I would love to be here," Byard said. "I've loved being here over the last year and going forward. This thing is year-to-year and honestly, it's probably going to be year-to-year for the rest of my career until I'm done playing. Regardless of whatever kind of contract I signed, this is always going to be year-to-year."
Byard should get at least one more crack a noteworthy multi-year deal as his career winds down. For all the intrinsic motivation he already has from a team perspective this year, he has that added layer on a personal level.
1. S Jaquan Brisker
Brisker suffered his third concussion is as many NFL seasons last year. It was clearly the worst one yet, as he could never clear protocol and wound up missing the final 12 games of the season. He also said he won't be changing his playing style in the wake of having to "retrain" his nervous system as he recovered from that third career concussion.
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With eyes on solidifying himself in the Bears' plans, Brisker needed to show improvement in pass coverage last season. Before the concussion, he had done so. Now, after missing two games in each of his first two seasons, the biggest question is about his durability and long-term future with that concussion history (even if he'd rather not talk about it).
Brisker can put all of the questions and concerns about his ability to have a long NFL career by playing all 17 games this season. If he does that and remains as productive as he was in his first two seasons, he'll be in line to become one of the highest-paid safeties in the league next March.