It's been a tough offseason for the Chicago Bears as they have continuously lost multiple key players from the defense.
The Bears have already lost guys like Nahshon Wright, Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Jonathan Owens, among others. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter adds another name to that list with defensive tackle Andrew Billings signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
Billings has played for the Bears over the last three seasons, starting 14 games last season. He finished the 2025 campaign with 31 tackles, six tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and one sack in 17 games, the best season of his Bears career.
Bears lose Andrew Billings to Cardinals
Chicago has taken a very different direction with the defense, focusing on adding younger talent while moving on from many of the team's core players. Billings had his ups and downs in 2025, but he was a key starter at defensive tackle on a unit that struggled the previous season.
The Bears were disappointed with the performance of free agent signing Grady Jarrett, even though he proved to be a good leader. Gervon Dexter was the star among the defensive tackles as he finished second on the team in sacks with six.
It's clear that Chicago will be working to add more talent through the draft as a cheaper, younger option. The Bears still have some work to do with the salary cap, as they have only $1 million in cap space, so expect some contract extensions and restructures in the coming days and weeks.
Read more: Nahshon Wright gave Bears fans 1.4 million reasons to be grateful for 2025 season
Billings will be a tough depth piece to the Bears after playing a big role at defensive tackle in 2025, but the Bears have a clear plan in place that they are looking to execute.