As a Bears Fan, I Am So Whelmed!
You might think it is odd to quote a teenager rom-com in a sports post... but I'm odd. Do you remember 10 Things I Hate About You? If not, in it a character named Chastity (played by Gabrielle Union... who is married to... Dwyaen Wade... BOOM Sports!) asks "I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"
Well Chastity as a Bears fan who is watching free agency, I can tell you that unequivocally the answer is a resounding "yes". I am extremely whelmed right now with the Bears moves right now. They didn't do anything terrible (like they normally do) and they did do anything amazing (like they rarely do). They just shuffled some pieces around. At some positions they got slightly better. At some positions they got slightly worse. But right now, they are basically even. And considering they won 11 games last year and a playoff game, even is not a bad place to be. this is especially true when you factor in that their young QB got an awesome second (I'd argue it was more like his real first) season under his belt.
So what have they done?
It began with trading the Green Bay Packer killer DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills. Although they will definitely take a step down in their three receiver rotation, we still have to see what the second round pick they received turns into. Considering how valuable second round picks are, I'll call that a wash for now.
But let's go position by position.
They lost Drew Dalman to retirement at the age of 27. This was a HUGE loss. They did trade a 5th round pick to New England for Garrett Bradbury to replace Dalman. He is supposedly a decent player but still a step down. So this is a -1
The Bears lost S Kevin Byard (who led the league in interceptions) and replaced him with former Seahawk Coby Bryant. He is actually younger, a little better and somehow cheaper than Byard so this is a + 1/2.
The Bears cut linebacker Tremaine Edmunds who had an awesome year. But they replaced him with Devin Bush, who also had an awesome year in Cleveland, is faster and cheaper. This one is so close but all call it a + 1/2.
The Bears brought back a depth providing player sin linebacker in D'Marco Jackson, LT Braxton Jones, DE Daniel Hardy and QB Case Keenum. They are the same players so this is a neutral grade.
The Bears lost 4th wide receiver Olamide Zacchaeus and replaced him with an excellent return man and a guy who has played for Ben Johnson before in Kalif Raymond. I'll give him a + 1/2 because is name is easier to spell.
The Bears have also lost CB Dashon Wright, DE Dominque Robinson, S Jonathan Owens, CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson and S Jaquan Brisker. Although Wright had a surpsiginly good year and Brisker had his flashes, neither were big losses. Brisker seemed to always be hurt so it would have been hard to rely on him. Even though they are not direct positional matches, the Bears added a bunch of guys to add depth including DT Neville Gallimore, DE Kentavius Street, and CB Cam Lewis. It seems Cam Lewis may be the jewel of this bunch but that remains to be seen. I'll call this one a wash as well.
So let's look at that final score. -1 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 for a total of... + 1/2
I'd say a + 1/2 is the definition of "whelmed". Like I said not too bad and not too good. But the off season is not over. Although the big free agents are all spoken for, there are still possible trades and a draft where the Bears have a first round and two second round picks. Hopefully they find a way to push this off season into the overwhelmed category!
I'm sad to say I don't follow the Lions nearly as closely as you do with the Bears. Perhaps it was just all those years of knowing it was all out of my hands! You learn to just kind of float along and enjoy the current.
All of this can go a long way when the team works hard enough together and each player respects the other player without taking anything away from them
Well, like you said, the season is not over, definitely not for the Bears. You might not remain just "whelmed". Before the season's end, your beloved Bears might pull off some miracle and you'll officially become "overwhelmed."
There are no easy predictions in sports and it hurts more as a fan when things are not going the way you like, because you can't have a direct impact on your favourite team. You can only hope and pray. Or for some, curse and swear. Hopefully you're not the latter. I wish the Bears luck.
From what our friend tells us, the Bears are a bit better than last year with the transactions they've made so far. Of course, there's still a chance to find a gem in free agency via trade or in the draft, but the really important thing is to remain a contender and advance to the Super Bowl next season because their young players will have another year of experience and the knowledge needed to take that step forward.
Hopefully, they can make some changes and use those draft picks to acquire good players who will help the team take the next step. From what I'm reading, he's very enthusiastic, which indicates how well the front office is handling the moves. Also, always remember that this is a young team with plenty of room for improvement, especially with the starting quarterback.
still they have room for improvement
Your whelmed comment is giving me Young Justice flashbacks in a good way.
It is most important for a player to be loyal to his profession. If a player is not loyal, he will not be successful. He will only take money from the franchise and play for money. He will never be able to play with this love. Players should always be selected who love their profession. This will benefit the franchise and make the fans happy.
Excellent summary of the Bears' offseason performance so far. They're doing very well, but they could be even better if they make some favorable trades and capitalize on those draft picks. It must be exciting to wait and see what happens now that they're a title contender, so today more than ever, Let's Go Bears!
Teams are like family; even when they disappoint, you remain with them. Let's hope for a turnaround. There's always a glimmer of hope.
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STOPThe Bills way over paid for DJ Moore, so you should be excited about that trade. That was a huge win for da Bears.
Bradbury was okay, way better than anticipated in NE, he should be fine, but nothing to get excited about. His pass blocking was okay, his run blocking was not great.
"Since 2020, Byard has posted the highest coverage grade (91.9) among all defenders, per PFF, with a 92.3 coverage grade since 2020—the best in the league among all defensive backs. He was named PFF’s #1 Overall Safety for the 2021 season, a title confirmed by both PFF and fan communities. In 2025, Byard recorded 7 interceptions, his highest total since 2017, and posted a 71.6 PFF coverage grade, while also excelling in run defense with an 82.6 grade, ranking 10th at his position."
"Coby Bryant has earned strong PFF grades over the past two seasons, establishing himself as a top-tier safety. His 2025 PFF overall grade was 65.5, ranking 45th among 98 safeties, with a 61.9 coverage grade and a 70.3 run-defense grade."
So yes Coby Bryant is an ascending player, but next season it would be a stretch to expect him to match the production you have gotten out of Byard. This is definitely a short term downgrade at safety and you are hoping that long term it pans out but that remains to be seen. This is at best a neutral change if Byard drops off and Bryant improves, however that is not always guaranteed.
Then on the Tremaine Edwards versus Devin Bush you are way underrating the upgrade. This is a huge upgrade for the Bears. 62 PFF grade to a 87.6 PFF grade, is a +3 in my book.
"Devin Bush posted a career-high 87.6 PFF overall grade in 2025, ranking 4th among 88 linebackers. His standout performance included: Coverage Grade: 80.4 (4th among LBs) – He allowed a 69.3 passer rating in coverage, the second-best mark among NFL linebackers. Run Defense Grade: 87.3 (8th among LBs) – Maintained elite consistency, posting 86.0+ PFF grades in run defense for two consecutive seasons.
Wins Above Replacement (WAR): 0.26 – Reflecting his significant impact across all defensive phases."
"Tremaine Edmunds had a mixed 2025 season with the Chicago Bears, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) metrics: Overall Grade: 62.3 (ranked 47th among 88 linebackers). Run Defense Grade: 81.1 (ranked 16th among linebackers, a career-high and strong performance). Coverage Grade: 52.1 (ranked 49th among linebackers), indicating struggles in pass coverage. Passer Rating Allowed: 87.2 when targeted in coverage."