The Chicago Bears might not win many actual football games, but they come to life in the offseason. From the same team that brought us the "No rookie quarterback has landed in a better situation than Caleb Williams" and "Mitch Trubisky is about to take over the NFC North," we are now ready for Ben Johnson's first offseason.
Can the man behind the Detroit Lions' offensive success turn the Bears' fortunes around?
No matter how creative his play designs or how many hook-and-ladder concepts he draws up, the Bears can't win without fixing their offensive line.
Joking aside, the concern from the Green Bay Packers' perspective is that Williams will take a second-year jump and begin to reach his potential in 2025. An improved scheme and competent offensive line play could help him get there.
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Fortunately, the Packers no longer have to worry about Chicago landing the best lineman in free agency.
Chiefs franchise-tagging Trey Smith is a huge win for the Packers ahead of free agency
Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith has become a crucial piece of the Kansas City Chiefs' offense, helping them reach three straight Super Bowls. Only 25 years old, Smith would've landed a massive contract had he hit free agency next month.
The Chiefs put an end to that. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Kansas City plans to franchise-tag its star lineman.
It's the best-case scenario for the Packers. While Green Bay also has offensive line issues to fix, Brian Gutekunst would never realistically spend big money on an interior lineman. The Packers already have quality at the guard position, with Elgton Jenkins on the left side and Sean Rhyan competing with Jordan Morgan at right guard.
In January, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler named the Bears as a team to watch.
Chicago enters free agency with the league's fourth-most cap space and could've addressed a significant need by signing Smith. Fortunately, the Chiefs crushed that dream.
Smith was one of the few standout names in this year's free agency class, and the Bears may now need to turn their attention to the draft. Sure, there will be other opportunities to improve their offensive line, but none are guaranteed home runs like signing Smith would've been.
All runs come to an end. The Chiefs failed to win a third straight Super Bowl earlier this month. Maybe the Bears' historic "offseason championship" run will also end this summer.
The Chiefs' decision is great news for the Packers and makes the Bears' offseason a little more challenging.