Immediately after their disappointing playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, the Detroit Lions saw offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn get head coaching jobs.
Glenn is the new head coach of the New York Jets, while Johnson will stay in the NFC North and coach the Chicago Bears. The Lions won’t see Glenn and the Jets next season, but they will see Johnson twice.
However, before the Lions and Bears face off next season, Detroit must worry about some free agents potentially leaving the Motor City in the offseason.
A few unrestricted free agents will go to New York with Glenn, while others will join Johnson in the Windy City. Since Johnson is more of an offensive guy, the Lions could lose a couple of key players that helped them win 15 games during the regular season and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Below, we’ll discuss three players who could depart Detroit and join Johnson in Chicago when the new league year begins in March.
1. Teddy Bridgewater, QB
The Bears do not need another quarterback on their roster. Heading into next season, they already have Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Austin Reed (reserve/future deal).
However, with Johnson bringing his offensive scheme from Detroit to Chicago, it might not be a bad idea to see if Teddy Bridgewater wants to play for one more season. The 32-year-old QB re-signed with the Lions in December after serving as a high school football coach at his alma mater (Miami Northwestern) and leading them to a state title.
Bridgewater didn’t see much time in the last few weeks of the regular season but made a brief appearance in the Divisional Round game against the Commanders. The veteran QB came in for starting QB Jared Goff, who was banged up after throwing a pick-six.
Bridgewater hasn’t revealed his plans for the 2025 season. However, having a veteran in the locker room to help out Williams and Bagent wouldn’t be a bad idea.
However, the Lions would be losing a veteran presence in their locker room, but they also have to see what they have in Hendon Hooker. Hooker was made inactive for the Lions’ playoff game against the Commanders for Bridgewater to be the QB2.
The veteran quarterback retired from the NFL after the 2023 season – his first year in the Motor City.
In his two stints with the Lions, Bridgewater has only appeared in one regular season game. But at this stage of his career, the veteran quarterback is considered an emergency option who can step in when called upon.
2. Tim Patrick, WR
The veteran wide receiver joined the Lions’ practice squad after the Denver Broncos released him ahead of the 53-man roster deadline.
Patrick was elevated multiple times from the practice squad throughout the first month of the regular season and began carving out a role in the Lions’ offense. The former Denver wide receiver racked up 33 receptions (44 targets) for 394 yards and three touchdowns.
Patrick’s best game this season with the Lions was in Week 14 against Green Bay, where he had six receptions (seven targets) for 43 yards and two touchdowns. Based on his production this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Patrick return to Detroit on a short deal as its WR3 alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
However, if the Bears do not re-sign Keenan Allen in free agency, Johnson could plug Patrick in as the WR3 next season. If that were to happen, Detroit would have to find another WR3 in free agency or use a draft pick to address the position.
The latter option seems more plausible as the Lions haven’t drafted a wide receiver since 2023 (Antoine Green in the seventh round).
If Patrick were to go to the Bears, his production would likely pick up and could mimic what he did with the Broncos. The 31-year-old wide receiver saw his Broncos’ tenure cut short by injury as he missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons with a torn ACL and Achilles.
After missing the last two seasons because of injury, the veteran wideout showed he can still be a starting-caliber WR in the league.
3. Kevin Zeitler, OG
The veteran offensive lineman signed a one-year, $6 million contract this past offseason by the Lions. The 34-year-old Zeitler did a great job solidifying the right guard spot for Detroit, giving up two sacks and only penalized five times.
Detroit could bring Zeitler back for another one-year deal, or they could go with Christian Mahogany. Mahogany was drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The former Boston College standout appeared in seven regular season games (one start) and started at right guard in the Divisional Round against the Commanders. If Detroit wants to go with Mahogany, Zeitler could be a great option for the Bears.
The Bears’ offensive line was not great this season as Williams was sacked a ridiculous 68 times (tied for the third-most in NFL history with David Carr).
Chicago had veteran lineman Matt Pryor starting at right guard after cutting Nate Davis earlier this season, who was a huge disappointment in the Windy City. Pryor played well at right guard, possessing a 69.9 overall grade on PFF, a 78.1 pass-block grade (ranked eighth among 135 qualified guards), and a 65.9 run-block grade.
Also, he allowed seven sacks and was penalized seven times across 1,005 offensive snaps. But when you look at Zeiter’s advanced stats, he played at a Pro Bowl level. The 34-year-old had an 86.8 overall grade, a 71.8 pass-block grade, and an excellent 87.2 run-blocking grade.
Pryor has a slight advantage over Zeitler in pass pro, but Zeiter overall would be an upgrade at right guard. According to Spotrac.com, the veteran offensive lineman’s calculated market value is a one-year, $9.2 million deal.
If that’s the going rate for the veteran offensive lineman in free agency, the Bears should be one of the top options for Zeitler.