For the first time in a while, the Green Bay Packers are looking up at the Chicago Bears in the NFC North standings. The Bears captured their first division crown since 2018 on the strength of a Week 16 victory last December, and Chicago doubled down on the Packers’ misery by earning a come-from-behind Wild Card victory in the playoffs last month.
Although the Packers want to beat every team in the NFC to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since winning it all, they may want to beat the Bears a little bit more. That puts Chicago under the microscope as the offseason began, and should grab Green Bay's attention even for minor moves such as the release of Amen Ogbongbemiga.
A special teams linebacker isn’t someone who is going to vault to the top of the Packers’ wish list this offseason. But with the Packers trying to close the margins between themselves and the Bears, Ogbonbemiga might be worth a look.
Packers Could Poach Former Bears Special Teams Ace Amen Ogbongbemiga in Free Agency
Ogbongbemiga enjoyed a two-year stay with the Bears, and his biggest impact was on special teams. According to Pro Football Focus, he was second on the team with seven tackles and ranked sixth with a 67.4 grade on 366 special teams snaps in 2024. The effort helped him land a two-year, $5 million contract last spring; however, a knee injury limited him to just one special teams tackle and a 66.9 special teams grade on 155 snaps, leading to his release.
The Bears saved just over $2 million with the move, but they could pay an extra price if Ogbongbemiga winds up in Green Bay. While he has logged just 235 defensive snaps over his first five seasons in the NFL, a potential addition could solve multiple issues for the Packers in 2026.
Packers fans will tell you that adding a special teams ace isn’t a bad start to the offseason. Green Bay ranked 18th with 10.6 yards per punt return and 15th with 25.8 yards per kick return last season, which was part of a middling unit led by Rich Bisaccia. The former ST coordinator stepped down from his role on Feb. 17, but the problem may remain if the Packers don’t add talent.
To further that case, Ogbongbemiga's 2025 PFF grade would have ranked seventh among Green Bay’s qualifying special teamers last season. His seven special teams tackles also would have tied Evan Williams for seventh and added depth to a team that suffered injuries to key special teams gunners Nick Niemann (10 tackles, 82.5 special teams grade) and Kristian Welch (one tackle, 75.7 special teams grade) last season.
There’s also something to adding a quality player to the depth chart at linebacker. Quay Walker is a free agent, while Isaiah McDuffie, who was Green Bay’s top-graded special teams player last season with an 83.5 grade, could be elevated to the starting lineup to take his place. While Ty’Ron Hopper and Edgerrin Cooper are locked into two more spots, adding a player like Ogbongbemiga could add another layer of protection if injuries pop up.
All of this is a bonus to stealing a key player for the Bears’ special teams unit over the past two seasons. If the price is right, the Packers should be interested and make Ogbongbemiga an under-the-radar addition this spring.