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EspañolThe 2026 offseason is in full swing, and it's another important one for the Chicago Bears, who are looking to get back to the postseason in head coach Ben Johnson's second season.
General manager Ryan Poles has some work to do to shore up key needs on the roster. After overhauling the offensive line last offseason, the focus shifts to the defensive line, which is the biggest concern, as well as safety and left tackle. But there's some work to be done with the salary cap before the start of the new league year as Chicago is currently a projected $4.11 million over the cap. After three straight years of top-10 picks, the Bears will have to wait to pick in the latter part of the first round (No. 25) in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2026 offseason. Next up is wide receivers, where the Bears have plenty of decisions to make after two young players have proved themselves atop the depth chart, and a veteran could be on the move.
Who's on the roster?
- DJ Moore
- Rome Odunze
- Luther Burden III
- Maurice Alexander
- Jahdae Walker
- JP Richardson
Chicago's top three at the position make up one of the best wide receiver groups in the entire NFL, but the future of the group is depending on trade rumors surrounding DJ Moore. While Moore's name has been dangled in speculation for the Bears to pursue a premier pass rusher (Maxx Crosby of the Raiders has been most mentioned), he's still a very valuable and productive piece to the Bears offense. Rome Odunze did not have the sophomore campaign he or many had hoped for, but the emergence of rookie Luther Burden in the 2025 season has given Chicago room to operate if they need to make moves at the position. With two veterans set to hit free agency, it could offer up more future opportunities for Jahdae Walker, who had big moments in 2025 after joining the team as an undrafted free agent.
Who's slated to hit free agency?
- Olamide Zaccheaus
- Devin Duvernay
Both Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay brought veteran leadership as Odunze and Burden got accustomed to the NFL game, but their overall production was not what the team had hoped for. Duvernay's best value came in the return game, where he was projected to do his best work, and did. Zaccheaus had moments in the Bears offense, but was also clouded by drops during his two-year run with Chicago. Duvernay is a candidate to re-sign with the Bears given his special teams impact, but they should be moving on from Zaccheaus.
Who might join the Bears?
The recipe seemingly works well for the Bears at the receiver position, and they should stick to looking to add either veterans or return specialists who can step up as receivers if need be. Kendrick Bourn and Van Jefferson come to mind as two free agent possibilities who could crack the lineup at receiver, if needed, where they wouldn't be called on to do much, but have the talent to produce. Tylan Wallace, Skyy Moore, and Jalen Tolbert are all younger-aged receivers who may not have much of an opportunity as the veterans in a wide receiver role, but all three of them could be brought in to help impact the return game.
Position need: Low
The urgency and need for Chicago's wide receiver position is going to hinder on any potential move surrounding DJ Moore. If he's traded, there is somewhat of a bigger need to at least replace his spot with a veteran or two around Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, but the two young receivers appear on track to become the lead dogs in the position group. If Moore stays in Chicago, then it should be business as usual and the Bears may just have to fill in the gaps left by Zaccheaus and Duvernay for depth purposes. Chicago could also look to bring back Duvernay as a veteran wideout and return specialist.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears 2026 offseason preview: Where Chicago stands at wide receiver