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Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
The Chicago Bears will be on a mission to thoroughly rebuild their offensive line during the 2025 offseason and one potential free agent target — Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith — seems to have the attention of multiple analysts.
In his December 6 mock of the 2025 offseason, Windy City Gridiron lead draft analyst Jacob Infante made a series of predictions about how the Bears will rebuild their roster for the 2025 season, including the team paying top dollar to secure Smith’s services.
Specifically, he projected the Bears to sign Smith to a four-year, $74.2 million contract that would make him the NFL’s third-highest-paid guard in average annual value.
“Smith has made himself some money this year, and the Chiefs might not have the long-term assets to be able to afford him with significant cap space already being used across their offensive line,” Infante wrote. “In this hypothetical, he reunites with Ryan Poles, who was part of the Kansas City [front office] that drafted him.”
Infante isn’t the first to predict the Bears will pursue Smith in free agency. Back on November 18 following the dismissal of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department also identified Smith as Chicago’s top 2025 target in free agency, citing the 25-year-old’s potential to become a “franchise building block.”
With roughly $61.8 million in projected cap space for 2025, the Bears have the means to make an aggressive, long-term contract offer to Smith if he reaches free agency. They would also have every reason to make him their top priority considering both of their 2024 starting guards — Teven Jenkins and Matt Pryor — are pending free agents.
That said, there is at least one obstacle that could keep the Bears away from Smith.
Trey Smith Makes Sense, But Will Chiefs Let Him Go?
The Bears would not have to think twice about the value of signing Smith in free agency. The 25-year-old guard has vaulted himself from former sixth-round pick to burgeoning NFL superstar over the past four seasons with the Chiefs, playing a vital role in keeping quarterback Patrick Mahomes safe as they nabbed back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
Smith has also played some of the best football of his career in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed zero sacks and just five quarterback hits over 571 pass-blocking snaps this season. He also ranks as one of the league’s top run-blocking guards with the 12th-highest grade (79.8) from PFF out of 125 other qualifying NFL guards.
After missing on Nate Davis, the Bears cannot afford to be stingy with their money in terms of rebuilding their offensive line, and Smith would offer a Grade-A solution. The real question, however, is will the Chiefs actually allow Smith to reach free agency?
Over the Cap projects the Chiefs will have roughly $5.7 million in cap space for 2025, but they have various levers they can pull to create additional cap space through veteran cuts or contract restructures. For example, cutting superstar tight end Travis Kelce would free up $17.25 million for the Chiefs that they could then put toward Smith.
Who Else Could Bears Pursue in 2025 Free Agency?
Smith would be a big-fish target for the Bears in 2025 free agency, but their hopes of improving their offensive line are not dead in the water if the Chiefs re-sign him.
Infante also projected that Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman could sign with the Bears to replace Coleman Shelton as their starter. Dalman has earned elite grades both as a run-blocker (89.1) and overall (85.3) from Pro Football Focus through the first 14 games of the 2024 season, both of which rank him No. 4 among the league’s centers. If the Bears prefer to sign their next center instead of drafting him, Dalman fits the bill.
Jenkins — a 2021 second-round pick and the Bears’ current starting left guard — is also a free agent to consider. While Jenkins has missed 21 combined games with injuries over his first four seasons in Chicago, he has been an above-average starting guard for the Bears when healthy and has the upside to grow into a premium interior protector. If the Bears can overlook his injury troubles, they might just pay him to stick around.
Right guards Zack Martin and Brandon Scherff and center Ryan Kelly could also appeal to the Bears as they explore ways to upgrade their offensive line for the 2025 season.
