Robert Scheer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Unless you really studied the list of 2025 NFL free agents, you probably had to do some research on who Dayo Odeyingbo, the edge rusher the Chicago Bears agreed to terms with just hours into the first day of 2025 NFL free agency, was.

Odeyingbo agreed to a three-year, $48 million contract with the Bears that included $32 million in guarantees. It’s a decent chunk of change paid to a player who only had three sacks last season, but it became clear after the transaction was announced that Odeyingbo was a player in demand inside NFL circles.

At just 25 years old, his best football remains in front of him, unlike Khalil Mack, who most Bears fans hoped would return to Chicago in 2025. Instead, Mack re-signed with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year, $18 million deal.

As a result, the Bears land Odeyingbo, a younger ascending talent that they can develop over the next three seasons.

Upside has an expiration date, though. At some point, he’ll have to prove he was worth the Bears’ investment, and that ‘some point’ needs to come sooner than later.

Check out this Dayo Odeyingbo highlight package to get a better idea of what the Chicago Bears are adding to their defense. He undoubtedly has an exciting and explosive skill set that should complement Montez Sweat well.

Enjoy: