NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.
Next up is linebacker Matt Adams, who came to Chicago with an understanding of Matt Eberflus’ scheme. Adams would be an affordable option to bring back in 2023. But do the Bears want him back?
2022 stats
- 26 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble (10 games, 3 starts)
2022 review
Adams was brought to Chicago with a knowledge of Matt Eberflus’ defense, and he played the SAM linebacker role for the Bears. He had his best season since his rookie year with the Colts in 2018, but that was still in limited action. Adams dealt with injuries that limited him to 10 games. He dealt with a hamstring injury that sidelined him in Weeks 3 and 4 before suffering a calf injury in a Week 5 loss to the Vikings that landed him on injured reserve. Adams missed five games before making his return in Week 11 against the Falcons, and he played in the final seven games. Comparing Adams to another contributor like Joe Thomas, his production was down. But Adams did bring some real contributions on special teams.
Positional need: High
Considering undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn is the only starter on the roster, it’s safe to say linebacker is a big position of need this offseason. Although, when compared to others like defensive and offensive line, it’s not as concerning. Especially when you factor in the fact that Chicago could bring back Morrow on a one- or two-year deal — at an affordable rate — to fill that hole until they find his replacement.
Sanborn certainly made a case to be the starter at MIKE linebacker in 2023, which means Chicago needs to lock down a WILL and SAM linebacker. Could Adams return in that SAM role this year?
The future
The Bears have just one linebacker who factors into playing time on the 53-man roster in Sanborn, which means they have plenty of moves to make. They need to find a WILL and SAM linebacker, as well as depth at the position. Adams isn’t a priority to re-sign, but he’s someone who could serve as affordable depth at linebacker and make significant contributions on special teams. Adams brings veteran leadership to the group, and he’s someone with good knowledge of Eberflus’ scheme. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Adams back with the Bears in 2023. But it also wouldn’t be a surprise if they choose to move on.
2023 free agency profiles
We’re highlighting the Bears’ most notable free agents set to hit the open market in March:
| David Montgomery | Nicholas Morrow | N’Keal Harry |
| DeAndre Houston-Carson | Riley Reiff | Byron Pringle |
| Sam Mustipher | Patrick Scales | Khari Blasingame |
| Angelo Blackson | Matt Adams | Michael Schofield (3/4) |
| Mike Pennel (3/5) | Joe Thomas (3/6) | Armon Watts (3/7) |
| Dane Cruikshank (3/8) | Ryan Griffin (3/9) | Dante Pettis (3/10) |
