When Will the Bears Sign Their Second-Round Draft Picks?

As the 2025 NFL offseason continues, Bears fans are closely monitoring when the team will officially sign its second-round draft selections. They had three picks in the second round, adding Luther Burden III, Ozzy Trapilo, and Shemar Turner to the roster. While first-round picks tend to sign their contracts quickly due to greater negotiating power, second-rounders often take more time as teams negotiate the specific terms of the deal to safeguard their cash against potential risks.

Understanding Rookie Contract Negotiations

Under the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, all rookie contracts are based on a predetermined scale, which means negotiation windows are less dramatic than they once were. First-round picks are occasionally forced into offset language or bonus negotiations (see the Bengals and Shemar Stewart), but the negotiations become more intense for second-round picks. Currently, 42 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft remain unsigned. The unsigned selections include six first-round picks, six fourth-round picks, and 30 second-round picks.

"Offset language helps ensure that top picks don’t end up double-dipping, or taking money from two teams if they are cut before their first contracts are up." - Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC

The Bears Timeline

If an agreement cannot be reached before rookie mini-camp and OTAs, the ideal deadline shifts to training camp. The Bears' rookies are set to begin training camp on July 16th, with veterans reporting on July 19th. Under Ryan Poles' leadership, the Bears have generally signed their second-round picks on the eve of training camp, although negotiations with Jaquan Brisker did extend late into camp.

• 2023: Gervon Dexter Sr. signed on June 16th.
• 2023: Tyrique Stevenson signed on June 15th.
• 2022: Kyler Gordon signed on June 22nd.
• 2022: Jaquan Brisker signed on July 26th.

It’s important to note that Cliff Stein negotiated the Bears' contracts until the end of the 2023 season and reportedly played a key role in the delay of Brisker's contract signing. Stein is no longer with the organization. Since the Bears did not have a second-round selection in the 2024 Draft, it is challenging to predict when a deal might be struck with Burden, Trapilo, and Turner in the post-Cliff Stein era.

The lack of contract could be impacting the Bears ability to get Luther Burden III acclimated in the offense, though. Ben Johnson seemed frustrated by Burden's lack of practice time, as Burden is nursing a minor soft tissue injury. I assume that Burden would be practicing if a contract were in place. Without a signed contract, I assume he is not taking any chances with a minor soft-tissue injury turning into something more significant. Some might say that the contract delay is a real Burden on the offense...