The Chicago Bears are going to have plenty of changes this offseason. We already noted the starters that they will be losing to free agency, but there are even more depth options on the roster that will be gone.
Who are the players that are free agents and unlikely to return to the Chicago Bears?
6. The Chicago Bears will re-adjust their tight end room
The Chicago Bears signed two tight ends this year, Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan. Neither has been a success, and it looks like the team will be back at the drawing board, looking to reassemble this unit.
Lewis finished with just 29% of the snaps played on offense, while Tonyan was at 28%. Neither were really significant pieces in the offense, and both of them will likely be looking for new homes. Tonyan had career lows across the board. He did not come in with any expectations as a blocker, but his receiving ability was supposed to impact the offense. He will be known most for a drop against the Cleveland Browns that ended up being the difference between a win and loss.
Lewis was almost solely a blocker. There will be fond memories of his time in Chicago, but it was short. Both Lewis and Tonyan signed because of their relationship with Luke Getsy, who may not be in Chicago much longer.
Tonyan probably wants to find a better situation and may find another personal connection to sign with. Lewis has to be debating retirement. Both are unlikely to return.
4. Rasheem Green was not a fit with the Chicago Bears
Rasheem Green was simply not a good signing for the Chicago Bears. As a rookie, he played 33% of the defensive snaps. In the following four years, he was over 50%. He played 50.9%, 53.2%, 66.8%, and 52.6% in those four years. This year, he was at 35.9%.
He was not as involved as in past years and was not as productive either. In the past four years, he averaged 28 pressures per season, with a low of 23 and a high of 34. This year, he was at 14. His pass rush win rate was down from 8.1% last year to 7% this year, per PFF.
It just did not work out. For Green, he has to be thinking that he can find a job with more opportunities and potentially boost his stock on a one-year deal. He would not want to re-sign with the Chicago Bears.
For the Bears, they realize that between DeMarcus Walker and Montez Sweat, they have two solid edge rushers. However, between Yannick Ngakoue and Rasheem Green, they need to come back next year with two improved edge rushers.
3. D’onta Foreman left the Chicago Bears on a sour note
D’onta Foreman had been banged up in recent weeks, but he came back healthy. However, the Chicago Bears decided to keep him inactive, ending his season in week 15. Foreman had six rushes for -6 yards and had a poor day in pass protection, and it appears the Chicago Bears were done with him from that point.
Foreman is done with the Bears, as he voiced his displeasure with being inactive for the final two games despite no injuries. Still, when Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert were healthy from weeks two through five, they were the duo who started, and Foreman was inactive. He was mainly active because both of them were hurt, especially Herbert.
Herbert won the job back, and they moved on. Herbert and Johnson will be on the roster next year, and Foreman will not as well. The Bears will likely want to add one more back to this group, but it was clear that Foreman was not needed when Herbert was healthy so both sides will be ready to move on.
2. The Chicago Bears may move on from Dan Feeney
This may be the most likely player to return. Dan Feeney was traded for late in the offseason, and by all accounts, he was what they expected him to be: a depth lineman. Feeney wound up playing 90 snaps this season, with most of his time coming in weeks 11 and 18.
He played all 90 snaps at center, and 87 of them came in those two games. The Bears gave him an audition against the Green Bay Packers, but he showed them nothing to prevent them from finding upgrades, not only at the center but also in the depth department.
Feeney could come back for a few reasons. First, with under 400 snaps in the past three years, teams are not liming up for him. He will not have a heavy price tag. Ryan Poles traded for him, so he had some interest and may not have lost it in one season or one bad performance against the Packers.
At the same time, the Bears have seen nothing to cling to him and make sure he returns, and now he has a chance to find the best situation for him, not the team that traded for him. Time will tell.
1. Nathan Peterman should not return for the Chicago Bears
It feels like the Nathan Peterman time is over. He officially lost his job to Tyson Bagent, although an illness to Bagent led to Peterman getting snaps for a short period of time in week 18. Still, that should be the last time you see Peterman with the Chicago Bears.
The Bears signing Peterman was always a sign that they were not completely committed to Justin Fields. In the way that the Baltimore Ravens have Tyler Huntley, you would think the Justin Fields backup would have been someone more mobile, so the offense could be built around him.
Luke Getsy never built the offense around Fields, and that may cost both of them. Nathan Peterman signed with the Chicago Bears because he had a connection with Luke Getsy, going back to them both playing at Pitt, along with quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. You would assume that all three came in together, and all three will leave together this offseason. The only way Peterman is back is if Luke Getsy is back, and even if Getsy is not back, they should find better depth in the quarterback room.