The No. 1 priority for the Chicago Bears this offseason is to add to the offense to support Caleb Williams and set both he and new head coach Ben Johnson up for success.
Beyond that, the Bears need more help on defense, and more specifically along the interior of the defensive line. Chicago sported one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season and could use more options on the inside.
In order to remedy their need, Sports Grid’s Zack Cook predicts the Bears will sign Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman B.J. Hill in free agency.
“Recently, B.J. Hill has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Bengals. However, given the upcoming contract negotiations with key players, it’s possible he could find himself playing elsewhere in the near future,” Cook wrote. “Hill has been a reliable force in the interior defense, offering a level of security that’s often undervalued.”
After his first year in Cincinnati in 2021, Hill re-signed on a three-year, $30 million deal with the Bengals in 2022.
The veteran was a staple along the defensive line for Cincinnati in that span. Not only was he available (Hill played in 15 games or more in each of the last four years), he also proved to be an impact pass-rusher and run defender.
Hill averaged four sacks per season during his stint with the Bengals and posted Pro Football Focus run defense grades of 68.6, 63.4, 63.3 and 69.2 from 2021 through 2024.
The worst he ranked in PFF run defense grade was 55th among interior defensive linemen, and his 2024 grade finished 22nd at the position.
Chances are the Bengals will be interested in bringing him back, but Hill is going to draw significant interest on the open market, and combined with the fact that Cincinnati has so many expensive extensions to hand out, he could be too expensive for Cincinnati to keep.
Hill would provide an experienced option to throw into a rotation with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings and can provide a significant boost to both the run defense and interior pass rush.
According to Spotrac, Hill is estimated to receive a two-year, $18 million deal, so he won’t break the bank. The Bears are projected to have nearly $80 million in cap space, so they can easily fit that kind of deal in.
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