Billings underwent surgery to address a ruptured pectoral, Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Billings missed the last nine games of the 2024 season after tearing his pectoral in Week 9 at Arizona, but he now seems to be recovering well ahead of the start of the new league year. He projects as a regular contributor on the interior of Chicago's defensive line in 2025.
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Bears' Jaquan Brisker: Expected to contribute in 2025
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Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday he expects Brisker (concussion) to play for Chicago and contribute during the 2025 campaign, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Poles said Brisker and offensive lineman Ryan Bates (concussion), both of whom ended the 2024 regular season on IR, are "feeling back to themselves," per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. A 2022 second-round pick, Brisker missed 12 games in 2024 due to a concussion. The Bears will undoubtedly prioritize Brisker's health above all other concerns, but it appears the safety is expected to play a role on defense in the 2025 season, in which he'll be playing on the final year of his rookie contract.
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Bears' Jaylon Jones: Recovering from shoulder surgery
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Jones underwent surgery to address the shoulder injury he sustained in Week 9 at Arizona, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.
Jones missed Chicago's last nine games of the season due to his shoulder issue, and there's still no concrete timetable for his return. He's in line to become a restricted free agent during the offseason.
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Bears' Byron Cowart: Set career high in sacks
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Cowart recorded two tackles, including 1.0 sacks, in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Playing in his fourth season, Cowart set a career high with 2.5 sacks while posting 26 tackles on a 32 percent snap share over 15 games during the campaign. The veteran is an unrestricted free agent.
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Bears' Austin Booker: Part-time role as rookie
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Booker tallied one stop in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
After being selected in the fifth round of the 2024 draft, Booker played 24 percent of the snaps for Chicago, leading to 21 tackles, including 1.5 sacks. If Darrell Taylor leaves as a free agent, Booker may be able to move up the depth chart as he enters the second year of a four-year contract with the Bears.
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Bears' Terell Smith: Part-time role in 2024
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Smith tallied two stops in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Smith served as the No. 4 cornerback for the Bears, and since the starters had relatively good health, Smith ended the season playing 19 percent of the snaps, resulting in 19 tackles and four passes defensed (including one interception) over 14 games. The veteran in under contract with the Bears through 2026.
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Bears' Chris Williams: Rotational role in 2024
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Williams posted three tackles (one solo) in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Williams backed up Gervon Dexter at defensive tackle and played 35 percent of the snaps in 2024. After playing minimal snaps during his first two seasons with the Colts, Williams ended the campaign with 23 tackles (17 solo), including 3.0 sacks. He'll be a restricted free agent this offseason.
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Bears' Jaylon Jones: Misses nine games
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Jones missed the last nine games of the season with a shoulder injury, and ended the year with 15 tackles (13 solo) and two passes defensed in eight games played.
Jones posted 47 tackles as a rookie in 2022, though he was pressed into starting duty often as the team dealt with injuries in the secondary. In the last two seasons, Jones has served as a rotational player. Of his 15 tackles this year, 10 came in the Week 6 game when he was called upon to start. Jones will be a restricted free agent this offseason.
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Bears' Jack Sanborn: Worst season of career
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Sanborn recorded one solo tackle in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Sanborn had posted 64 and 65 tackles during his first two seasons in the league. In 2024, the veteran ended the season with 35 tackles (17 solo), including 1.5 sacks, and three defensed passes in 17 games. The biggest issue was that the Bears followed a trend in the league in which teams often use two linebackers on the field, instead of the traditional three or four. The defensive scheme resulted in Sanborn playing just 22 percent of the snaps. He'll be a restricted free agent this offseason.
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Bears' Elijah Hicks: Misses five games in 2024
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Hicks missed the last two games of the season with an ankle injury. He ended the 2024 campaign with 40 tackles (24 solo), two passes defensed and two fumble recoveries in 12 games.
Hicks was the starting strong safety for the Bears until suffering an ankle injury in Week 11. Once he returned to action in Week 15, Jonathan Owens had taken over the starting job, which limited Hicks to 10 snaps in Weeks 15-16. Another ankle injury ended the season early for Hicks. The veteran is under contract with the Bears through next season.
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Bears' Jacob Martin: Three sacks in 2024
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Martin played 15 snaps but recorded no stats in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Martin saw his first game action with the Bears in Week 8. On the season, the seven-year veteran tallied 15 total tackles, including 3.0 sacks. The defensive end has not posted more than 23 stops or 4.0 sacks in a season as he heads to unrestricted free agency in his age-29 season.
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Bears' Zacch Pickens: Rotational role in 2024
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Pickens was inactive in the last two games of the season, and he ended the year with 19 tackles (eight solo), including 1.0 sacks, in nine games.
When on the field, Pickens often played about 40 percent of the snaps each week. After recording five tackles over his first six games, Pickens increased his production by averaging 4.7 stops over his last three contests. The defensive tackle is under contract with the Bears through 2026.
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Bears' Tyrique Stevenson: Slight regression in second year
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Stevenson posted eight tackles (four solo) and a pass defensed in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Stevenson played in 16 games and ended the season with 78 tackles (51 solo), 12 passes defensed, including two interceptions (including a pick-six) and a forced fumble. Those numbers were down slightly from the cornerback's rookie season, when he tallied 86 tackles (65 solo), 16 defensed passes, including four interceptions, and two forced fumbles over 16 games. Regardless, Stevenson has established a solid IDP scoring floor, as he enters the final two years of his rookie deal with the Bears.
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Bears' Gervon Dexter: Breaks out in second season
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Dexter tallied five stops in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Dexter finished the season with 51 tackles (23 solo), including 5.0 sacks, one pass defensed and two fumble recoveries over 15 games. The 2023 second-round pick looked like one of the more promising young defensive tackles in the league. Dexter is signed through 2026, and he'll be an excellent IDP option in leagues that use an interior defensive-line position.
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Bears' Jonathan Owens: Excels in second half of season
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Owens recorded five tackles (three solo) and recovered a fumble in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Owens was a non-factor through Week 11, when he had a total of three tackles. The safety moved into a regular role when teammate Elijah Hicks was injured. Once Hicks returned, Owens retained the starting job. In the last eight games, the veteran posted 46 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. Owens is signed through 2025, and assuming he holds onto the starting role, he'll be a high-floor IDP.
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Bears' Jaquan Brisker: Misses 12 games with concussion
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Brisker went on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in Week 5.
Brisker will hopefully regain full health, and if he returns to action in 2025, he'll go into the last year of his rookie contract coming off of a five-game season in which he posted 40 tackles (23 solo), including 1.0 sacks, one interception, an additional pass defensed and a forced fumble.
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Bears' Kyler Gordon: Posts 75 stops in 2024
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Gordon tallied four solo tackles in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Gordon posted between four and seven tackles in all but one game this season, and his 75 total tackles (48 solo) across 15 games in 2024 were four more than his previous career high. After picking off five passes in his first two seasons, the cornerback failed to secure any this season. Gordon will go into the last year of his rookie deal, and he should remain a low-ceiling IDP unless he can outperform his career norms.
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Bears' Darrell Taylor: Set to hit free agency
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Taylor posted four solo tackles in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Taylor recorded a career-low 3.0 sacks with the Bears after he averaged 7.2 sacks in his three years with the Seahawks. In terms of tackles, the defensive end posted 32, which was right in line with his previous career average of 30. Taylor is an unrestricted free agent, and if he moves to a team that can weaponize him as a pass rusher, his IDP value would improve.
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Bears' Andrew Billings: Spends 10 games on IR
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Billings missed the last 10 contests in the 2024 season with a pectoral injury.
Billings recorded 13 tackles (nine solo), including 1.0 sacks, in eight games. With a career high of 39 tackles in 2022, the defensive tackle will remain a low-ceiling IDP as he heads into the last year of his contract with Chicago.
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Bears' Kevin Byard: Career year at age 30
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Byard tallied 14 tackles and 1.0 sacks in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.
In his ninth season in the NFL, Byard posted 130 tackles and 2.0 sacks. The safety has now recorded at least 108 stops in four of the last five campaigns. Byard is going into the last year of his contract with the Bears, and he should remain an excellent IDP.
