***LAKE FOREST, Ill.,***— One position for the Chicago Bears that could see a number of changes this offseason is safety. As the front office and coaching staff continue roster evaluations, general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will need to make an important decision about veteran Jonathan Owens.
After signing a two-year, $3.8M deal in free agency during the 2024 offseason, Owens found a role as a special teams player and key depth piece on defense.
With Chicago have no safeties under contract for the 2026 season, Owens future with the team is an interesting one. The Bears could bring him back due to his ability to play a role on special teams while also serving as an extra defender in dime packages but the front office could also decide that getting younger on defense in terms of depth is also a reason that the former undrafted free agent isn't back in 2026.
Let's get into our hold 'em or fold 'em for the veteran safety.
The case for keeping Owens
As mentioned above, there are a few factors that could play into whether or not the Bears decide to retain Owens. For a team that has a handful of roster holes, the Bears will need to figure out how to create additional depth all across the defense, and giving Owens another contract would be doing just that.
While he'll never be the kind of player who starts every game for the Bears, he has logged 35 starts in has career. The experience alone makes him an excellent resource, especially for a team that will be looking at some turnover on defense this offseason.
For further context, during the 2025 season, Owens only played 47 snaps on defense. On special teams, he logged 264 snaps and if he does receive another contract with the Bears, having him as a gunner will give the coaching staff a chance to maximize his value.
The case against keeping Owens
A question that the Bears will need to answer this offseason is whether or not Owens really fits Allen's defense. A goal for the front office and coaching staff this spring will be overhauling the defensive side of the ball, bringing in players who are ideal scheme fits for what Allen likes to do. Being on the smaller side (5-foot-11, 210 pounds), Owens struggles to stop the run and fails to hold up in coverage at times. While he played a limited number of snaps on defense in 2025, he's on the smaller side at his position and could find himself with a new home for the 2026 season.
Final Verdict
Fold 'Em. The Bears need to get younger on defense and while Owens has provided some solid play over the last two seasons, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bears move on from him, replacing him with someone younger. Owens cap hits for 2024 and 2025 were $1.87M and $1.92M respectively and if the Bears did decide to bring him back, it'd be on another one or two year team-friendly deal.
From the front office's perspective, overhauling the defense in 2026 will also be about building for the future and given Owen's role on the team, he could be easily replaced by a player who's younger, cheaper, and will be on a more cost controlled contract throughout the next four seasons.
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