Bears Expected to Re-Sign Key Free Agent, Multi-Year Deal in Play
The Chicago Bears are roughly one week away from the start of negotiations for 2025 NFL free agency, which means there is a ticking clock for them to decide on which of their own pending free agents they want to re-sign for next year.
Fortunately for cornerback Josh Blackwell, it sounds as though there is a good chance he will return to the Bears in 2025 — maybe even on a multi-year contract extension.
The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs recently broke down the Bears’ options for using the restricted free agent tender to keep some of their pending free agents in place for the 2025 season and argued that Blackwell, defensive tackle Chris Williams and strongside linebacker Jack Sanborn are their top three candidates to receive RFA tenders.
While Sanborn is the most recognizable player among them, though, Biggs wrote that Blackwell is the “likelier” candidate between the two of them to receive the tender after the backup cornerback had teams “circling” to see if he’d come available last summer.
“Blackwell has versatility on special teams and as a backup slot cornerback,” Biggs wrote. “Teams were circling last summer to see if he might be available.”
Biggs also noted the Bears might consider “multi-year contracts for some of the RFA tender candidates,” suggesting they could sign someone like Blackwell to a two-year extension to avoid shelling out the per-year value of the tender (about $3.26 million).
Josh Blackwell Has Stood Out as Limited Role Player
Blackwell isn’t the highest-profile pending free agent on the board for the Bears, but he has done well since joining their roster as an undrafted rookie before the 2022 season.
The Bears originally claimed Blackwell off the waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 after he failed to make their initial 53-man roster. In his three seasons since then, he has played in 43 games and notched 44 tackles, one interception, two pass breakups and one forced fumble for the Bears. He finished the 2024 season as the top backup slot cornerback behind Kyler Gordon as well as a core special team player for various units.
Blackwell also scored the decisive touchdown in the win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 on a trick-play punt return. The Bears faked the Packers into pursuing their decoy return man — DJ Moore — on one side of the field while Blackwell caught the ball on the other side of the field and went untouched 94 yards down the sideline for six.
Whether Blackwell returns, though, could depend on Dennis Allen’s opinion of him.
Allen has already touted his “vision” for Gordon in the slot, calling him an “outstanding nickel player,” but whether he feels Blackwell offers a similar enough skill set remains to be seen. It may benefit Blackwell that he has learned alongside Gordon in the same room for the past three years, but Allen could perhaps want to find his own guy.
Then again, Blackwell also has Richard Hightower to plead his case.
Hightower will stay on the Bears’ special teams coordinator in 2025 and may pound the table for the team to keep Blackwell on an affordable contract or RFA tender, especially after he cooked up a successful bit of trickery with him to close out the year.
Will Bears Re-Sign Keenan Allen or Teven Jenkins?
While Blackwell’s future could be decided in the coming days, the Bears must also make decisions on their other 31 players set to hit free agency in some capacity on March 12.
Key among those pending free agents? Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen and starting left guard Teven Jenkins.
Meanwhile, Jenkins would leave a hole in the Bears’ lineup at left guard if he walked in free agency, but his checkered injury history could keep Chicago from investing in him with a long-term contract extension. Perhaps a weak free-agent market for the position could persuade the Bears to extend Jenkins; though, they might ask him to take a short, prove-it deal for the 2025 season — something he can likely outdo on the open market.
