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Chicago Bears' new-look offensive line not living up to early expectations in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 12:31 PM ET

Priority No. 1 for general manager Ryan Poles during the 2025 NFL offseason was to fix the offensive line problems that led to Caleb Williams getting sacked an NFL-high 68 times last year.

Poles turned that priority into action when he traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and signed center Drew Dalman in free agency.

The Bears added right tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, too.

So, the offensive line must be playing better, right?

Well, not exactly. At least, not according to the analytics.

According to Pro Football Focus' latest offensive line rankings, the Bears remain clustered in the bottom-10 of the NFL.

Chicago checked in at No. 23.

"The team's offensive line has surrendered 44 pressures — including four sacks — on 155 pass plays this season," PFF's Zoltan Buday wrote. "The unit's 84.5 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating ranks 16th in the league."

PFF dubbed Drew Dalman the Bears' best offensive lineman and highlighted Thuney's 78.3 pass-blocking grade as sixth-best among all guards this season.

It isn't time for Bears fans to panic. Remember: Chicago has three new starters and a completely new offensive scheme, and we're only one month into these guys playing together while also learning the intricacies of coach Ben Johnson's system.

Time on task -- together -- is a key variable that usually separates the best offensive lines from the middling ones. The deeper we get into the 2025 regular season, the more likely it is that we'll see this group play at the level that was expected of them during the offseason.

Pro Football Focus once ranked the Bears' offensive line as a top-five unit. They even predicted that Chicago could field one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

The talent hasn't changed. The outlook shouldn't, either. Instead, fans should remain patient as this Chicago Bears' line continues to accumulate reps. An uptick in production will follow.

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

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