The 2024 season may be a lost cause, but the Chicago Bears have to do some damage control this spring.
Everything has gone south for the Bears, who are currently riding a four-game losing streak. Head coach Matt Eberflus seems likely to be one of the next hot-seat firings this season, and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams hasn’t had the breakout rookie season anyone would have hoped for.
A huge part of the issue for Williams has been sacks, which are his responsibility to a degree, but also fall on his offensive line’s shoulders. Through ten games, the rookie has taken a league-leading 41 sacks, costing the Bears 278 yards in the process.
Signing at least one standout lineman to put in front of Williams will be a key to the Bears’ impending offseason. And the Kansas City Chiefs may have the perfect player for Chicago to grab.
Chiefs right guard Trey Smith has emerged as a superstar at the position in his fourth season, setting himself up for Pro Bowl and All-Pro consideration. Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Network recently predicted that Smith would sign with the Bears this spring as a free agent.
“Smith will have a laundry list of suitors if he hits the open market. Robert Hunt got $20 million annually from the Panthers as a 2024 free agent guard, and Smith is a better overall player,” Robinson said.
“The Bears, who are trying to keep No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams upright, might have the most pressing need. Chicago’s interior offensive line has been disastrous through three games, while 2023 free agent signing Nate Davis looks like a clear whiff. The Bears rank 30th in pass-block win rate.”
Still just 25, the 6-foot-6, 321-pound Smith looks like a prime candidate to become the new highest-paid guard in the NFL. Spotrac currently projects him for a four-year, $74 million deal, but Hunt’s aforementioned $100 million contract seems like a more realistic target.
If the Bears want to prove to Williams that they are invested in his career development, signing Smith to keep defenders off him is a great way to start. It will assuredly be costly, but worth every penny if the young star keeps performing as he has been in Kansas City.
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