The Chicago Bears have wrapped their 2025 season following a gut-wrenching defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoffs, but the future is brighter than ever. Now, it’s time to look ahead to what’s shaping up to be a busy offseason for the Bears.
The Bears overachieved in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season, where they won the NFC North with a 11-6 record, beat the Green Bay Packers for their first postseason win since 2011 and found the perfect head coach-quarterback match with Johnson and Caleb Williams. There are a lot of pieces in place, most notably on offense, and this offseason presents general manager Ryan Poles an opportunity to shore up the weaknesses as Chicago looks for a return to the playoffs in 2026.
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Now that the Bears’ 2025 season is in the books, here are some important dates to know heading into the 2026 offseason:
January: End-of-year press conference
The Bears will hold an end-of-year press conference this week to kick off the offseason, where general manager Ryan Pole and head coach Ben Johnson will meet with the media to discuss what was a successful 2025 season and looking ahead to the offseason. Date and time TBD.
Jan. 27-31: Senior Bowl
The NFL draft starts in Mobile, Ala., with the Senior Bowl. There will be plenty of Bears scouts in place to get a look at some of the best talent in college football.
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Feb. 3: Pro Bowl Games
The 2026 Pro Bowl Games will be held on Feb. 3 in San Francisco, the site of Super Bowl 60. The Bears have three representatives: left guard Joe Thuney, safety Kevin Byard and center Drew Dalman.
Feb. 23-March 2: NFL Scouting Combine
The Scouting Combine kicks off draft season, where the Bears have plenty of needs to address. But they won’t pick until No. 25. General manager Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson will head to Lucas Oil Stadium to get a look at the top prospects in this year’s NFL draft.
March 3: Franchise/transition tag
The deadline to use the franchise or transition tag is March 4. But the Bears don’t have any candidates for either tag.
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March 9-11: Free agency
The two-day negotiating period officially begins March 9 (when the action is busy), but free agency officially opens on March 11. The Bears are slated to be roughly $4 million over the salary cap at present, but GM Ryan Poles will make some moves to get that down. They shouldn’t be too active in free agency, but they’ll look to make some moves to shore up depth and positions of need.
March 11: Trading period opens
If the Bears are going to make any trades, they can start on March 11, which marks the beginning of the new league year.
April 20: Offseason program begins
Head coach Ben Johnson will welcome his team back to Halas Hall for their offseason program starting April 20. Teams who have a new head coach will begin two weeks before the rest of the league with returning coaches.
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April 23-25: 2026 NFL Draft
After three years of top-10 picks, the Bears will find themselves waiting a little bit before making their first-round selection at No. 25 in the 2026 NFL Draft. Chicago currently has three picks in the top 89, which will be used to address positional needs, most notably along the defensive line. After the 2025 rookie class proved to be an impactful one, Ryan Poles will look to replicate that success. This year’s draft will be held in Pittsburgh.
May 1-4 or May 8-11: Rookie minicamp
Following the NFL draft, the Bears can hold their three-day, post-Draft rookie minicamp either May 1-4 or May 8-11, where new rookies will hit the practice field at Halas Hall for the first time. There will also be undrafted free agents looking to earn a roster spot.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears offseason: Key dates for fans to know in 2026
