With the NFL's legal tampering window open, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has already made several moves, including signing former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Neville Gallimore, who provides depth for Dennis Allen's defense.
It didn’t take long for the Chicago Bears to address one of the biggest needs on the roster.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Chicago Bears are signing Colts interior defensive lineman Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12 million deal.
Gallimore, 29, will be the second year in a row that general manager Ryan Poles has elected to sign a Colts player to the Bears roster. Last offseason, the Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract. Odeyingbo played in eight games and registered one sack before tearing his Achilles tendon, ending his season.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Gaillimore with the 82nd overall pick in the third round out of Oklahoma in 2020. He played four seasons with the Cowboys before playing the 2024 season for the Los Angeles Chargers and then last season in Indianapolis.
Gallimore’s one season with the Colts was his best of his career. He hit career-highs in total defensive snaps played (467), total pressures (17), sacks (4) and batted passes (3), according to Pro Football Focus. Throughout his six-year career, Gallimore has primarily lined up in the B gap (1,446 total snaps).
The 6-foot-2, 302-pound defensive tackle had his best game of the 2025 season against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, registering a season-high 71.9 defensive grade in a game where he had two total quarterback pressures and one tackle.
Watching some of the snaps from that game, what stands out is Gallimore’s speed. He ran a 4.79 40-yard dash, which is moving for a defensive lineman.
Here he is tracking down quarterback Jacoby Brissett and delivering a hit near the Colts’ sideline. Obviously the speed is there, but the effort he showed on this rep also will standout to his coaches and his teammates in Chicago.
Here is Gallimore with the Colts' defense backed up in the red zone, but the veteran D-lineman maintains his gap, absorbs the block from his left, and he ends up making the tackle for no gain.
In his best-graded game of the season, there were also a handful of plays where Gallimore was stonewalled with his pass rush. How he continues to work on his counter moves will help him as he transitions to the Bears' defense.
Poles mentioned at the NFL Scouting Combine that he wanted to add more team speed to his defense, and Gallimore fits that category at the defensive line position.