The Chicago Bears are the beneficiaries of some big news coming out of the AFC West Division this week.
The Kansas City Chiefs enter the offseason after a disappointing finish in the Super Bowl.
Kansas City recently suffered a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX after defeating the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans in the earlier postseason rounds.
While the Chiefs were looking to make NFL history, attempting to become the first team to win three straight titles, they were missing a major piece of the puzzle.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice was sidelined with a knee injury that kept him on injured reserve for much of the season.
On Chiefs owner Clark Hunt's 60th birthday, Feb. 19, Rice took to social media to send him a promise about next season.
"Happy birthday to the big dawg," Rice said. "Got a gift for you next year around Feb."
Rice suffered a knee injury in Week 4 and ultimately underwent surgery on his LCL. Before the injury, Rice served as quarterback Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 wide receiver, posting two touchdowns and 288 yards on 24 catches in the team's first three games.
The return of Rice will be vital for the Chiefs' success in the 2025 season. He seemed to be emerging as Mahomes' No. 1 target in just his second year in the league.
During Rice's rookie season, 2023, he posted seven touchdowns and 938 yards on 79 receptions.
Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported on Wednesday, February 19, that the Kansas City Chiefs are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Pro Bowl offensive guard Trey Smith, which means he will be a free agent next month unless he reaches a long-term contract extension with K.C. in the next few weeks.
“The Chiefs are not expected to place the franchise tag or the transition tag on Smith, according to a league source,” Taylor wrote. “Instead, the Chiefs should do their best to keep one of their best players by offering Smith a four- or five-year contract.”
Bears Represent Biggest Threat to Chiefs if Trey Smith Becomes Free Agent
GettyOffensive guard Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The problem for Kansas City and the advantage for Chicago is each team’s respective salary cap space.
The Bears have $64 million in space as of Wednesday, per Spotrac, while the Chiefs have just $3.2 million. Analysts now predict the NFL salary cap is going to jump somewhere between $22-$26 million next season following a final negotiation between the league and the players association in the coming days, which should help Kansas City in its pursuit of a reunion with Smith.
However, league insiders have linked Chicago and Smith since before the Super Bowl, and reports of those connections will only continue now that the Bears may have a shot to make Smith a godfather offer in the range of five years and more than $100 million. Such a deal would reset the market at the position and render Smith the highest-paid offensive guard in NFL history.
The Bears desperately need to rebuild the interior of an offensive line that allowed 68 sacks of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams last year. New head coach Ben Johnson, who came over this offseason after three years as the Detroit Lions‘ offensive coordinator, operated with one of the best offensive lines in the league over the past couple of campaigns and has openly prioritized immediate investment in the O-line in Chicago.
Bears Dubbed Top Fit for Chiefs Guard Trey Smith
GettyKansas City Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith.
Matt Bowen of ESPN on Tuesday dubbed Smith the No. 2 free agent in 2025 across all positions and named Chicago his top destination, adding even more fuel to the fire that the two sides could pair up in the coming weeks.
“The top interior lineman on the market, Smith would upgrade a critical position of need in Chicago,” Bowen wrote. “Smith is a powerful mover in the run game, as his run block win rate of 75.1% ranked sixth among guards. Plus, he has the foot speed to mirror interior defenders and the strength at 6-6 and 321 pounds to anchor against bull rushes. Bears general manager Ryan Poles could make a splash move to rebuild the front for Ben Johnson’s new offense.”
Chicago also owns the Nos. 10, 39 and 41 picks in the first two rounds of April’s draft and is likely to use at least one or two of those selections on offensive linemen, even if the Bears also ink Smith in free agency.
