There are Illinois football players scattered throughout the NFL, and some are even playing in their own backyard.

The Illini, especially since Bret Bielema took over, have seen numerous players make it in the NFL. The talent can come in the form of first-round draft picks like Devon Witherspoon. Some have been drafted late in the proceedings. Others have signed on via free agency.

In the case of Doug Kramer, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears back in 2022. Well, the former sixth-round pick of the Bears has now signed another contract. On Tuesday afternoon, the Bears put out a press release saying they had signed Kramer to a new one-year contract.

Hinsdale’s own is back for more

We have re-signed Doug Kramer Jr. to a one-year contract

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2025

Kramer has been a reliable player for Chicago over the past couple of seasons. In year one, he did go down with a lower leg injury that put him out for the season. Kramer then saw action in two games in 2023. This past season, he played in all 16 games for the Bears.

Doug Kramer is going to be a part of a resurging Chicago Bears franchise

It is exciting that Kramer is back with the Bears. He signed his rookie deal back in 2022. Kramer then signed a one-year deal in 2024 for $915,000. He is now back with the Bears on another one-year deal in 2025, but the money has not been released.

I imagine Kramer is excited to be back with the Bears. Chicago has done a lot of work in the offseason building around quarterback Caleb Williams, and most of this work has come on the offensive line.

The Bears signed center Drew Dalman to a three-year deal. We also traded for Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney and Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Jonah Jackson. These three additions, along with bringing back Kramer, should help stabilize a Bears offensive line that has struggled for years. Something special is happening in Chicago.

Bears’ $42 Million Signing Ripped as Worst of NFL Free Agency

The Chicago Bears made several ambitious roster moves in the first wave of NFL free agency last week, but one of their signings has drawn them some criticism.

On the first day of the 2025 league year on March 12, the Bears announced two trades and their first two signings of the unrestricted free agency period, including the three-year, $42.75 million contract they signed with veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

Jarrett — a two-time Pro Bowler — had hit the open market two days earlier after the Atlanta Falcons released him for additional cap space, ending his 10-season tenure with the team that originally drafted him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. After his release, the Bears didn’t wait long to pounce and quickly added him to their defense.

Chicago’s urgency, however, raised some red flags for ESPN’s Seth Walder, who dubbed Jarrett’s signing one of the worst and “biggest head-scratching” signings of free agency.

“The Bears signing defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a deal with $28.5 million fully guaranteed,” Walder wrote on March 18 in a panel of ESPN experts sharing their takes. “Jarrett’s numbers have been declining for years, bottoming out at a 9% pass rush win rate last season (though he was coming off an ACL tear).”

Bears Taking Risks With Grady Jarrett & Dayo Odeyingbo

Walder’s skepticism about the Bears signing Jarrett to a big contract isn’t unwarranted. As he noted, Jarrett had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2024 for the Falcons, recording just 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits in 17 starts on 463 pass-rushing snaps. He will also turn 32 in about six weeks, creating conditions for a potential bottom-out.