The Chicago Bears rewarded DE Daniel Hardy and LB D’Marco Jackson with new contracts ahead of NFL free agency.
On Monday, the NFL’s free agency tampering period begins, meaning teams will start agreeing in principle to contracts with players. Come Wed., Mar. 11, all trades and signings will become official as the new league year begins.
That said, Ryan Poles has been busy prior to opening the free agency period. The team saw Drew Dalman retire, forcing a trade for center Garrett Bradbury. Then, the team traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills and released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. After more subtraction than addition, the team extended a key special teams player and re-signed an unlikely contributor from last season.
Per various reports, the Bears extended DE Daniel Hardy to a new two-year deal. In addition, the team gave LB D’Marco Jackson a new two-year deal, keeping the unlikely hero at linebacker in Chicago for at least two more seasons.
Daniel Hardy
Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Daniel Hardy (92) pursues Buffalo Bills quarterback Shane Buechele (6) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
As noted, Hardy is an ace special teams player. The defensive lineman racked up 20 tackles last season on special teams (he had 22 total tackles), and even made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. The total contract is worth up to $6 million with incentives, a worthy deal for a depth lineman who is a heavy contributor in the game’s third phase.
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D’Marco Jackson
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (45) and linebacker D’Marco Jackson (48) react after a defensive stop during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
D’Marco Jackson virtually came out of nowhere in 2025 for Chicago’s defense. After nearly every linebacker on the roster was claimed by injury, Jackson stepped up in a big way. In fact, there were times that Jackson outplayed those ahead of him on the depth chart, leading to some game action against Green Bay in the playoffs after TJ Edwards was lost to injury. Now, Jackson’s two-year, $7.5 million deal provides quality depth. In fact, Jackson is likely viewed as a spot starter after his performance in 2025.
Jackson’s contract is worth up to $10 million with incentives. The deal is a no-brainer. Jackson has familiarity with Dennis Allen after spending the first two seasons of his pro career in New Orleans. In addition, he totaled 43 tackles in 2025, a career high, while making only four starts along the way. Quality depth is hard to come by in the NFL, so the Bears made the right call by inking Jackson.
Players can begin agreeing to terms with new teams at 11:00 a.m. CT on Monday, March 9.