Chris Williams and the Bears arrive at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a game with the Jaguars last year. Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Bears finish signing process with Chris Williams and three others

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Gene Chamberlain | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 9:00 PM ET

As the Bears began work in the weight room with conditioning, they also finished some dangling paper work.

Four restricted players who had been tendered already officially signed the offers and were able then to take part in workouts.

Defensive tackle Chris Williams had been tendered at a $3.263 million level as a restricted free agent and signed.

Williams proved to be a surprise last year after being acquired from Cleveland with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He made 23 tackles, three sacks, seven quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. He'd never made a sack before last season and had six total tackles for 13 games played for the Colts in 2021 and 2022.

Chris Williams gets home for the @ChicagoBears sack!

: #CHIvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/QfUH7iEwuF
— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

The other players retained were all exclusive rights free agents and the Bears gave them the minimum tender offer of $1.03 million each. Those deals were finalized for defensive tackle Jonathan Ford, guard Bill Murray and cornerback Ameer Speed.

Ford, a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2022, was acquired last year by the Bears when they signed him away from Green Bay's practice squad. The 6-foot-5, 338-pounder got into his first four NFL games and made nine tackles, including one for loss.

Shoutout to DT Jonathan Ford who the Bears signed off the Packers practice squad last week.

He made his NFL debut tonight and finished the game with 4 tackles and a TFL. He was noticeable penetrating the backfield.
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroCHSN) December 17, 2024

Murray was the surprisingly effective Bears blocker who came up from the practice squad and then quickly was done for the year with a pectoral muscle tear.

Speed played in two Bears games last year after being signed to their practice squad in September. He had been with the Colts and Patriots in 2023.

Bill Murray with Maximum effort here:

Not 1, not 2, but 3 guys he takes out here… pic.twitter.com/x8QG1AeeBD
— Da Bright Side Bear (@BrightSideBears) October 7, 2024

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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