When the Chicago Bears extended All Pro guard Joe Thuney, many fans immediately jumped to the question of "who's next?" rather than celebrating the job Ryan Poles did with this acquisition.
That's fair, though, because the Bears have some polarizing players entering the final year of their contracts, including: safety Jaquan Brisker, tackle Braxton Jones and quarterback Tyson Bagent.
More so than the likes of Jonathan Owens, Kevin Byard or any of the other 2026 free agents, these three are going to require a whole lot of thought.
Which players does Ryan Poles prioritize after extending Joe Thuney?
Let's start with the most polarizing, and that's Brisker. The Bears don't really have an option lined up for 2026 if it isn't Brisker starting in his current role. To be frank, they don't have a concrete plan at safety, period, as of right now.
Brisker, Byard and Owens are all entering a contract year.
But Brisker, specifically, is a difficult one because of his inability to stay healthy on a regular basis. The 2022 second-round pick only appeared in five games last year after a Week 5 concussion ended his season.
Normally, a concussion wouldn't be the reason to miss 12 more games. However, it was his third concussion in as many seasons, and that raises serious questions over his long-term health. How does Poles navigate this delicate situation with an otherwise-talented player?
Secondly, the Bears will have to make a call on Braxton Jones, who is coming off ankle surgery that ended his 2024 campaign.
At the moment, they have some competition brewing at that tackle position between he, Kiran Amegadjie and rookie Ozzy Trapilo. Chances are, the winner of that competition in 2025 will be who the Bears roll with going into 2026.
If it isn't Jones, then he could be on his way out and wouldn't be worth extending via starter money.
Finally, Bagent is a tough call as well. He's beloved by fans and within the locker room. He's ultra competitive and more than capable of being a top-tier backup in this league. Will another team offer him more money than Poles is willing to pay?
It would be difficult to see Bagent land elsewhere after the Bears finally solidified their backup role (and, no, Case Keenum isn't a long-term answer there obviously).