Last year, the Chicago Bears offensive line was a war crime. Caleb Williams, the golden boy from USC, was introduced to the NFL by being hurled into a meat grinder behind the cheapest offensive line in the league. Sixty-eight sacks later— good for third-worst all-time — somebody in Halas Hall finally screamed, "Enough."
Enter the 2025 offseason: a glorious, scorched-earth campaign where Ryan Poles and the Bears front office went from hoarding pennies like it was the Great Depression to dropping bags like a rapper at a jewelry store. They catapulted from 32nd in O-line spending to eighth. It’s not just a shift in strategy — it’s an admission of guilt. They nearly got their franchise QB killed, and now they’re trying to atone with one of the most aggressive line rebuilds in NFL history.
Ben Johnson’s Blueprint: From Motor City to the Windy City
If you’re wondering who whispered sweet, sexy protection schemes into Poles' ear, look no further than new head coach Ben Johnson. The Lions' former offensive coordinator built a top-tier trench unit in Detroit, and now he's trying to do it again in Chicago. The man didn’t just show up with a playbook — he brought his people, starting with guard Jonah Jackson.
Jackson, who bounced from Detroit to L.A. before this reunion, isn’t a world-beater, but he knows Johnson’s system like the back of his hand. His resume includes a Pro Bowl nod and a PFF history that screams "meh" but with context: the man thrives in the right system. If anyone can get value out of Jackson’s sometimes-brittle frame, it’s Johnson.
The Crown Jewels: Thuney and Dalman
Then there's Joe Thuney, ripped straight out of Kansas City. Four Super Bowl appearances. Two rings. A pass-blocking cyborg who hasn’t graded below 74.2 in PFF since before Mahomes even had facial hair. The dude allowed ONE sack last season. Chicago gave him $51 million and probably should’ve given him keys to the city.
Drew Dalman might be the sleeper ace. The guy’s been a top-five center per PFF for two straight seasons. He moves like a tight end, snaps like a vet, and pulls like your favorite uncle at Thanksgiving dinner. Together with Thuney and Jackson, this is a middle three that can actually move bodies.
PFF GRADES
Drafting Depth with a Side of Insurance
While Poles went vet-heavy inside, he hedged his bets outside by grabbing Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. The Boston College left tackle only gave up two sacks over two years, and now he’s breathing down Braxton Jones’ neck.
Jones, for his part, is coming off a broken fibula. He’s been serviceable, but serviceable won’t cut it when you’ve got a top-tier WR room and a franchise QB. Expect Trapilo to push hard. This ain’t charity — it’s open competition.
The Good News: Caleb Might Survive 2025
Let’s not overthink this. The number one goal here is keeping Caleb upright. With Thuney and Dalman holding the interior, Williams won’t have to duck for his life after his first read. The 68-sack nightmare should fade fast — hell, it better. Dalman and Thuney alone allowed two combined sacks last year.
Give this kid a real pocket, and suddenly those downfield routes for DJ Moore and rookie Rome Odunze become weapons instead of pipe dreams. The playbook opens up. Timing routes become viable. Screens and pulls? Finally executable.
Scheme Fit? Chef’s Kiss.
Ben Johnson’s system demands linemen who can move, think, and adapt. You don’t need statues — you need athletes. Thuney is an elite zone-blocker. Dalman is nasty at the second level. Jackson, when healthy, can pull and trap with the best. These are the kinds of guys who let you run the screens, misdirections, and counters that Johnson feasted on in Detroit.
Yeah, But At What Cost?
This wasn’t cheap. The Bears are now locked into expensive deals for guys on the wrong side of 30 (Thuney) or with health red flags (Jackson). If either goes down, you’re looking at Ryan Bates and Bill Murray, which is... meh.
And let’s not ignore the cap gymnastics. Poles emptied the piggy bank here. That limits flexibility next offseason. Forget adding another big-ticket edge or extending all your rising stars. This is the line you ride with.
The Tackle Question Still Lingers
Interior? Solved. But let’s not pretend the tackle situation is rock solid. Braxton Jones is still a maybe. Trapilo’s promising but raw. If the edges collapse, it’s still curtains for Caleb. They’re one swing tackle injury away from going full 2022 Bengals.
Ripples and the Bigger Picture
With this line in place, the ripple effects are massive. The run game should eat. D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson could suddenly look like Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Longer developing routes become viable. The whole passing tree expands.
And don’t sleep on the division race. The Vikings spent big in the trenches. The Lions lost Frank Ragnow. The Packers? Still in the mix. But this line gives Chicago a puncher’s chance to own the line of scrimmage for once.
Projection Time: Real Talk
Barring injuries, this line should make the Bears a top-15 offense. Williams should drop from 68 sacks to under 40. The rushing attack could hit top-10. And more importantly, Caleb might actually develop instead of seeing ghosts by Week 6.
Final Verdict
Credit where it’s due: Poles saw a weakness and attacked it with the fury of a man who’s been reading Caleb’s injury insurance policy. This offensive line overhaul is bold, calculated, and absolutely necessary.
But let’s not act like this is bulletproof. It’s a vet-heavy, high-cost, injury-risk group that needs everything to click now. The runway is short. The expectations are high. And the margin for error? Shrinking by the snap.
If it works, the Bears could finally shed their punchline status. If it fails? Well, we’ve seen that movie before, and it ends with the QB getting scraped off the turf.
Buckle up. This line is gonna tell us everything we need to know about the Bears in 2025.
Loading comments...