The Bears worked out a contract extension Thursday — just not with the two prominent players who they’d been in negotiations.
Nose tackle Andrew Billings, who’s been one of the Bears most steady players since the team signed him to a one-year deal this offseason, agreed to two-year extension. He’ll be under contract through 2025.
Billings, 28, spent the first three years of his career with the Bengals, then a year apiece with the Browns and Raiders. He started all 14 games in which he played last year, and has started all eight games this season.
It’s hard to measure interior defensive linemen with statistics, but the Bears have praised his play all season.
“We love Billings — ‘Big Bill,’” linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi said last month. “Just how sound he is. That’s a hard position to play. It’s kinda undervalued in the NFL, the nose tackle position. But when you have a good one, man, those linebackers, they love it. They can trust ‘Bill’ that he’s gonna be where he’s supposed to be. A lot of time he eats up two linemen and lets our guys run free.”
General manager Poles is also trying to negotiate an extension with edge rusher Montez Sweat, for whom he traded Tuesday. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s camp had negotiated for a new deal with Poles up until Monday, when they, unsuccessfully, asked for a trade.
Amazingly, Billings marks just the second time Poles has given out a multi-year extension since taking over in 2022. Tight end Cole Kmet got one during training camp.
“We’re extremely excited to be able to keep Andrew in Chicago,” Poles said in a statement. “The professionalism, dependability and toughness he brings to our defense exhibit the type of player we want in our organization.”
