The wait is finally over!

Good morning, Bears fans!

The wait is finally over. Legal tampering for free agency begins at noon today, and after the chaos of the past week—trading DJ Moore, cutting Tremaine Edmunds, watching Drew Dalman retire, then scrambling to acquire Garrett Bradbury—this is where Ryan Poles shows us if he's actually serious about building a contender around Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.

HEADLINES

• Bears figure to be aggressive as legal tampering opens Monday
• Khalil Mack reunion off the table after re-signing with Chargers
• Daniel Hardy re-signs on two-year deal worth up to $6 million

IN-DEPTH

Trey Hendrickson is the biggest name on the free-agent market despite his age and that he played only seven games last season, posting 17½ sacks in both 2023 and 2024

More importantly, he knows Dennis Allen's system from their time together in New Orleans. This is the move. The pass rush has been the Bears' glaring weakness for years, and the need grew more acute after Crosby was traded to the Ravens

Yes, Hendrickson will be expensive. He’s also 31 and didn't stay healthy last year. But you want to win now with Williams on a rookie deal? This is how you do it.

As for left tackle, Taylor Decker could be the perfect answer. He’s a reliably above-average tackle who has familiarity with Ben Johnson's offense from their time in Detroit.

Pair Hendrickson with re-signing Kevin Byard, and suddenly this defense starts looking legitimately dangerous instead of just opportunistic. The margin for error is thin, but Poles has shown he can maneuver. Now he needs to prove he can finish.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

STAT OF THE DAY

The Bears now hold about $41 million in salary cap space after the departures of DJ Moore, Drew Dalman and Tremaine Edmunds. They could clear up even more with a couple of simple contract restructures.

GO DEEPER

TWEET OF THE DAY

See you tomorrow!