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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 09: Jonathan Owens #36 of the Chicago Bears kisses wife Simone Biles before the game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field on November 09, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts have signed Chicago Bears free-agent safety Jonathan Owens to a one-year deal, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo announced.
“The #Colts have agreed to terms with safety and special teamer Jonathan Owens on a one-year deal, per his agent @SunnyTheAgent.”
Owens, the husband of superstar American gymnast Simone Biles, spent the past two seasons with the Bears, racking up 68 total tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one interception, appearing in all 17 games both seasons.
The power couple now find a new home in Indianapolis.
The #Colts have agreed to terms with safety and special teamer Jonathan Owens on a one-year deal, per his agent @SunnyTheAgent.
Bears Lose Jonathan Owens (And Simone Biles) to Colts
The Bears’ secondary has now lost five defensive backs, all on one-year deals, which is a sign of what teams around the league view the Bears’ DBs and Chicago’s trust in defensive backs coach Al Harris.
Here’s a list of the following DBs that left the Bears this offseason
Chicago did make two moves to acquire defensive backs, signing former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant to a massive three-year, $40 million deal and former Buffalo Bills safety Cam Lewis to a two-year deal.
Bryant is expected to be a focal point on the Bears’ defense at safety, and Lewis will be a rotational/special teams player.
Bears Secondary Undergoing Massive Change
In 2025, the Bears’ secondary made plays. They led the NFL with 23 interceptions. However, Chicago believes the turnovers were more on the coaches end than it was on the players, as evidenced by letting all of them leave during free agency.
It’s also worth bringing up again that they all signed just one-year deals instead of three- or four-year deals.
There’s still time for the Bears to add to the secondary during free agency, but all signs point to Chicago addressing all the departures during the 2026 NFL Draft.
There’s an expectation that the Bears will draft a safety early to pair with Bryant in the backfield. Here are some of the top safety prospects according to multiple ESPN draft analysts:
Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toldeo
A.J. Haulcy, Toledo
Bud Clark, TCU
Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
Treydan Stukes, Arizona
Bryan Perez of Bears SI believes Thieneman would be a perfect fit for the Bears’ defense, writing, “The instinctive safety quickly built a reputation as one of college football’s most productive defensive backs thanks to his range and ball skills. His ability to read and react helps him generate turnovers, something the Bears have emphasized defensively. For defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, having a safety who can patrol the deep middle while still supporting the run is critical. Thieneman’s versatility makes him exactly that kind of player.”
Perez also mentioned how he would mesh well with Bryant in the backfield.
“Bryant brings physicality and versatility, while Thieneman offers elite range and instincts as a true center-field defender. That combination would give Allen the freedom to disguise coverages and move defensive backs around the formation, something modern NFL defenses rely on against high-powered offenses.”
It’ll be interesting to see what path the Bears take to address the secondary, because there are a lot of missing pieces that were key in helping Chicago lead the NFL in interceptions last season.
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