NFL Free Agency 2022: Chicago Bears News and Rumor Tracker

Since yesterday was relatively quiet for the Bears, we’re going to keep this tracker going for Thursday, March 17. So happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone and let’s go Bears!

The NFL’s 2022 league year officially opens for business at 3:00 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, and we’ll be keeping track of all the reports and rumors that come up surrounding the Chicago Bears. The Bears’ first couple days of early negotiating weren’t as exciting as in year’s past, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

We’ll be updating this tracker as the rumors and reports start trickling in for Thursday, March 17.

• With Allen Robinson in L.A., the Rams coupld be open to trading Robert Woods. (link)
• Former Chiefs receiver Byron Pringle is signing with the Bears. (link)
• The Bears have signed former Packers wide out Equanimeous St. Brown. (link)
• Running back Damien Williams is another former Bear on his way to Atlanta. (link)
• A-Rob is off to play with the L.A. Rams. (link)
• Former Bear Alex Bars is signing with the Raiders (link)
• Former Bears Elijah Wilkinson and Teez Tabor are signing with the Falcons. (link)
• Beau Brinkley has been released by the Bears, so the long snapping battle has ended before it started.
• The Bears designated the release of both Tarik Cohen and Danny Trevathan as post-June 1 cuts, so that means they’ll get an additional $7.2M in cap space for this year on June 2.
• The Packers are signing punter Pat O’Donnell. (link)
• The Bears did not tender offers to restricted free agents Alex Bars, Xavier Crawford, Teez Tabor, Ryan Nall, or J.P. Holtz, so all 5 of them are now unrestricted free agents. (link)
• The Khalil Mack trade to the Chargers was made official today.
• Danny Trevathan released (link)
• Tarik Cohen officially released.
• There are a lot of teams releasing veterans to get right with the 2022 salary cap, so keep an eye on the Bears targeting some of these players that won’t affect their comp pick formula.
• Middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. is staying with the Browns.
• Corner Artie Burns is signing with the Seahawks. (link)
• Bilal Nichols if off to the Raiders on a 2-year deal worth $9M. (link)
• Catch up on anything you missed on Tuesday’s tracker here.

Brand New Bears

Byron Pringle, WR (link)

Equanimeous St. Brown, (link)

Lucas Patrick, G/C (link)

Nicholas Morrow, LB (link)

Larry Ogunjobi, DT (link)

These players were added prior to the free agency “frenzy”

Noah Dawkins, LB

Joe Thomas, LB

Ryan Winslow, P

Darrynton Evans, RB - Awarded to the Bears on waivers

Returning Bears

Patrick Scales, LS (link)

Jesper Horsted, TE (link)

Sam Mustipher, C

Lachavious Simmons, OL

Former Bears

Allen Robinson, WR (link)

Damien Williams, RB

Teez Tabor, DB

Elijah Wilkinson, OL

Beau Brinkley, LS

Pat O’Donnell, P (link)

Danny Trevathan, LB (link)

Artie Burns, CB (link)

Bilal Nichols, DL (link)

Jakeem Grant, WR (link)

James Daniels, RG (link)

Alex Bars, OL (link)

Eddie Goldman, NT

Tarik Cohen, RB

Khalil Mack, OLB

Current Bears 2021 Free Agents

Marquise Goodwin, WR

Damiere Byrd, WR

Andy Dalton, QB

Jimmy Graham, TE

Jesse James, TE

Germain Ifedi, RT

Jason Peters, LT

DeAndre Houston-Carson, S

Deon Bush, S

Tashaun Gipson, S

Marqui Christian, DB

Bruce Irvin, EDGE

Cassius Marsh, EDGE

Alec Ogletree, LB

Christian Jones, LB

Joel Iyiegbuniwe, LB

Akiem Hicks, DL

Margus Hunt, DL

Xavier Crawford, CB

Ryan Nall, RB

J.P. Holtz, TE

If you guys see any interesting rumor or report be sure you bring it up in the comment section.