With the NFL Franchise Tag window opening on Tuesday, the Chicago Bears will begin to have a clear picture of the free agents who will be available at the start of the new league year in March.
For the Bears and many teams across the NFL, all eyes are on the Kansas City Chiefs and star offensive guard Trey Smith. There continues to be an expectation that Smith will reach free agency this offseason, the latest indication of that coming from Adam Schefter.
Agreed. Hard to imagine the Chiefs franchise tag Trey Smith. A transition tag is more palatable and plausible.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2025
A transition tag would also make it more plausible the Chiefs complete a sign-and-trade involving Smith. Of course, if Travis Kelce were to retire, the path toward Smith returning to the Chiefs becomes far less complicated.
As of now, Smith is expected to hit free agency with many pointing to the Chicago Bears as being his eventual suitor. The latest from Matt Bowen of ESPN:
The top interior lineman on the market, Smith would upgrade a critical position of need in Chicago. Smith is a powerful mover in the run game, as his run block win rate of 75.1% ranked sixth among guards. Plus, he has the foot speed to mirror interior defenders and the strength at 6-6 and 321 pounds to anchor against bull rushes.," Bowen writes as he connects the Bears to Smith.
Trey Smith would be the perfect addition for the Chicago Bears' offseason.
Ryan Poles has started the 2025 NFL offseason in the right direction with the hiring of Ben Johnson. The hiring of Johnson proved the Bears were finally comfortable doing something they haven't done in the past, paying a premium for the best coaching candidate available. The next step in changing the perception of their organization is for the Bears to do something they haven't in a long time, invest financial resources into the offensive line.
Yes, the Bears have drafted Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones under Poles' watch but instead of taking fliers with the hope of finding success, signing Smith would given them the expectation of success. That expectation is needed if the Bears are going to have a successful offseason and start to Johnson's coaching tenure.