The Bears Just Solidified Their Offensive Line: Ex- chargers Guard Joins the Fold After Super Bowl
The Chicago Bears are adding another young piece to their offensive line room with the NFL offseason in full swing on the first day after the 2025 Super Bowl.
While the Bears have been entrenched in offseason activities for the better part of the last month, they have been largely focused on their coaching search and building out their new staff under head coach Ben Johnson for the 2025 season.
The Bears have made some roster moves since their season ended, but all of them have been reserve/future signings with 2024 practice-squad players.
At least until now,
On Monday, the Bears officially announced they had been assigned former Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Jordan McFadden from the waiver wire.
The Bears had originally claimed McFadden — a 2023 fifth-round pick — off the waivers in early January after the Chargers waived him from their 53-man roster, but offseason waiver claims do not process until the day after the Super Bowl.
Now, though, McFadden is free to join his new team and can begin working to earn a place in the Bears’ rebuilt offensive line rotation for next season.
McFadden spent three seasons as a starting tackle for Clemson’s offense, but the Chargers determined his height (6-foot-2) and arm length (34 inches) made him a better fit to play guard in the NFL after they drafted him in 2023.
While McFadden made two starts and played 12 games at guard as a rookie, though, the new Chargers regime did not share the same affinity for him and moved him to the bench in 2024, playing him on just a single offensive snap.
Fortunately for McFadden, the Bears will now offer him a fresh opportunity to earn his keep in 2025 as they look to construct a sturdier offensive front for quarterback Caleb Williams, who was sacked an NFL-most 68 times last year.
The Bears could have three starting jobs open on the interior of their offensive line in 2025. All three of last season’s starters — Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton and Matt Pryor — are due to become unrestricted free agents in March.
At the very least, McFadden is a cheap flier for the Bears to take at their most significant position of need. He will carry cap charges of $1.03 million and $1.14 million, respectively, during the final two seasons of his rookie contract.
