The safety position is an intriguing — and arguably unstable — position group for the Chicago Bears heading into training camp.
As was the case in 2024, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker are expected to start at free safety and on the strong side, respectively, but the depth behind them isn’t the greatest. Jonathan Owens would be first man up, and Chicago also has Elijah Hicks, Tarvarius Moore, Doug Coleman III and undrafted rookie Major Burns currently on its roster.
In his May 14 mailbag, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asked whether the Bears might add another free agent safety to the mix.
“This is probably a position the Bears are keeping an eye on, but they have Elijah Hicks entering a contract year and he has started 15 games for them, including 13 over the last two seasons,” Biggs wrote. “The lack of action at the position tells us the Bears at least feel good about giving Hicks another opportunity to emerge as the third option.”
Then, he named one veteran DB to keep an eye on due to his history with new Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Brad Biggs: Chicago Bears Could Sign Veteran Safety Marcus Williams
GettyFree agent safety Marcus Williams is an option for the Chicago Bears.
“One name to keep an eye on is Marcus Williams. He spent his first five seasons playing for Allen with the Saints,”Biggs noted, adding: “What I don’t know is how much Williams, who turns 29 in September, has left. The Ravens released him in March after he spent the last three seasons in Baltimore. Williams lost his starting job last season and didn’t play after Week 12.”
The 6-foot-1, 204-pound Williams was selected in the second round (42nd overall) by New Orleans back in 2017. During his five seasons with the Saints (2017–2021), he established himself as a solid free safety, starting 76 games and amassing 320 total tackles, 15 interceptions and 38 passes defended.
In 2022, Williams signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, but injuries kept him from the field for much of his tenure there.
Over three seasons in Baltimore, he played in 32 games, starting 30. He accumulated 134 tackles, five interceptions, and 18 passes defended. But a dislocated wrist in 2022 and a torn pectoral muscle in 2023 limited his availability. In March 2025, the Ravens released him.
Williams’s time under Allen feels particularly noteworthy here. Allen’s defense often utilized Williams’s strengths as a single-high safety, allowing him to patrol the deep field and capitalize on his instincts and ball skills. Considering Allen maximized Williams’s abilities when they worked together, a reunion is certainly possible.
The Dennis Allen Factor Could Be a Big One
If the Bears were to add Williams, he probably wouldn’t be competing for a starting role.
“Justin Simmons, Julian Blackmon and Jordan Whitehead are probably the best safeties available. I doubt Simmons signs unless he’s more or less guaranteed a starting spot, and the same could be true for the other two,” Biggs also noted.
As of the end of the 2024 season, Williams has played in 108 games, starting 106 of them. His career totals include 469 total tackles, 333 solo tackles, 56 passes defended, 20 interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a defensive TD.
