GOOD NEWS: The Chicago Bears have the option to re-sign this free agency linebacker.
Dylan Cole may not have been known to most Chicago Bears fans for the entirety of the previous campaign. The news that Cole joined the NFL in 2017 might surprise some people. As a free agent this spring, he signed with the Bears over the previous offseason. What makes the Bears likely to re-sign him even if he just saw three defensive snaps?
In NFL free agency this offseason, will the Chicago Bears re-sign Dylan Cole?
Despite his lack of defensive skill set—he has played in 969 snaps since the 2017 season, including 439 for the Titans in 2022—the Bears still trust him. But the team signed him after they had chosen Noah Sewell and had Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, and Jack Sanborn. Cole needed to understand that he would always be the fourth linebacker on the field and that his playing career would be hampered by injuries.
Special teams was the reason he signed with the team. Cole reached a career best last year with 332 special teams snaps. In the course of the 2021–2022 campaign, he began to solidify his reputation as an elite special teams player. That was the only thought the Bears had when they signed him.
He met expectations, although he was not a particularly good team player and did not have a significant impact. All four of the aforementioned linebackers will be returning for the Chicago Bears, meaning Cole would, at most, be the fifth linebacker.
But by keeping him around, the Bears can concentrate all of their efforts on other positions because they have a reliable special team player and are secure at linebacker. Cole, knowing that he will be active on game day, returns to the club that will help him maintain his league position.
Dylan Cole is most likely to sign a new contract with the Chicago Bears out of every depth free agent.