Could Jedrick Wills be a steal for the Bears in 2026?

Eric Hartline - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 18 hours ago

There is no question that the Chicago Bears roster is one of the most improved, if not the most improved, roster in the NFL this season. From an influx of interior offensive line talent, the addition of several playmakers on defense, and a rookie class that is filled with potential, Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles have come together to construct arguably the most complete roster this team has had in decades.

Even with all the positives that this offseason has brought to the Bears and their organization, no team is perfect, and the Bears roster still has some holes they could address. Many of the holes are depth pieces, such as additional pass-rushing help, an extra running back, and other needs. However, teams can never have too much depth.

One area that is being overlooked in terms of depth is the offensive line, particularly the Left tackle position, as the Bears are still trying to figure out who will be their starting left tackle this season. There is no question that Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, and Joe Thuney are going to make this team better, but those are the interior linemen for this upcoming season.

Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones are options at one of the tackle positions, just like rookie Ozzie Trapilio is at that other tackle position. Given that most of these players have several years remaining on their contracts, it appears that the Bears' offensive line is not only in a better spot but should also remain intact for the next several years.

With that said, you can't fault Poles for wanting more, and one of the more intriguing free agents left on the market is Offensive Tackle Jedrick Wills, who was recently released by the Cleveland Browns. The 26-year-old Wills has been around the league since 2020, when he was a first-round pick (No. 10 overall).

That alone makes his availability intriguing, as does his 6-4 and 307-pound frame. Since coming into the league, Wills has dealt with his share of injuries, but when he has been healthy, he has proven to be worth every bit of the first-round talent the Browns expected him to be. Across his first three seasons, Wills started 45 games, appearing in at least 13 games in each of those seasons.

Then came the past two seasons, during which Wills was limited to 13 games and 12 starts, and is also coming off a season in which he saw action in only five games before going down with a season-ending knee injury. Going even further, it appears that his knee is taking longer to heal than he expected, as Wills announced he will sit out the entire 2025 season to recover by next year fully.

Any time a player is stepping away due to an injury there are always concerns, but to hear him say he is stepping away to get back to 100% leads you to believe that he may be healthy enough to play now, but doesn't want to go out and kill himself if he isn't at the peak of his physical health.

Knowing that Wills won't be 100% this season throws a wrench into any team signing him, but that could also be one of the reasons why he is starting to receive calls from several teams. This is one of those unique situations where Wills will not only make an offensive line group better if he is healthy, but whoever signs him will be getting him at a bargain and may wind up securing him on a multi-year deal with the bulk of that contract coming in year two.

That alone could play into the Bears' hands as they could add to their roster and still do it by saving even more money than expected. Even if he isn't involved in the plans this season, Wills has shown what he can do when he is healthy and on the field. Should that happen next season, not only will the Bears have another solid player, but one who could force his way into the starting lineup by having a strong camp.