The Chicago Bears were initially busy in free agency, but didn't make the splash signings the fan base was hoping for.
One signing that left Bears fans a bit puzzled about why he was given a multi-year deal was defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. Last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Gallimore didn't exactly light the world on fire as Pro Football Focus graded him out to be a 56.6, ranking 77th out of 134 interior defensive linemen eligible in the NFL. He finished with 38 tackles, six quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections in 17 games.
With that underwhelming performance, Bears fans were hoping for a little bit more from their defensive tackle position, which struggled in 2025. Chicago, despite also signing two additional defensive tackles in free agency, might have to do a little bit more in the draft to really get across to Gallimore that he needs to be better than last season.
A message has to be sent to Neville Gallimore
The Bears added James Lynch and Kentavius Street to the defensive line in free agency, but they are more rotational players. Chicago will most likely still lean on Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter to be their starters.
Last year was a bad example, though, of defensive linemen being signed as they did not produce the kind of numbers the Bears were hoping for. Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo both dealt with injuries and struggled with their play.
Gallimore is set to play a key role on the line, either starting or rotating. Still, he needs to understand that the Bears need some help on defense and can't play like he did last season.
The Bears have already started looking at defensive tackles in the 2026 NFL Draft as potential options in the first round. Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald already visited with the Bears, and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods has been projected to the Bears in the first round at 25.
Read more: Incredible Rome Odunze stat speaks volumes about Caleb Williams, Bears' offense
If Gallimore struggles, that will be a massive problem for the Bears, so Chicago needs something to work out. A rookie coming in will inspire him to step up and be better than Jarrett and Odeyingbo last year.