The Oregon Ducks football program had an impressive 2026 NFL Draft, headlined by the fact that two players were picked in the 1st round. Considering how potential 1st round picks Dante Moore, A'Mauri Washington, and Matayo Uiagalelei returned to school, the draft was a great showing, and a point Dan Lanning and his staff can point to on the recruiting trail.
Surprisingly, Kenyon Sadiq was the first player from Oregon to hear his name called when the New York Jets picked him 16th overall. The surprise wasn't that Kenyon Sadiq was picked 16th, but that Dillon Thieneman was still on the board as some mock drafts had him going as high as the top 10. Instead, Thieneman fell to the 25th overall pick landing with the Chicago Bears where he'll have a chance to play on a contender.
While Thieneman was drafted in April, the former Oregon Ducks star hasn't had the chance to celebrate his new fortune. That was until Friday morning with the announcement that Thieneman will be signing his rookie contract.
Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman signs rookie deal with the Chicago Bears
Thieneman's rookie contract is expected to be the standard four-year deal worth just over $19 million, all of which is fully guaranteed. Thieneman also receives a signing bonus of $10.65 million which is a nice deposit to see heading into the weekend. While Thieneman hadn't reached a deal until Friday, he took the mature approach of attending the offseason camps and workouts to ensure he can start learning the system to hit the ground running as a rookie.
The Bears will be hoping that Dillon Thieneman can become an impact playmaker in the secondary after an offseason of turnover. Safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard III left in free agency creating a hole in a secondary that already needed to improve. Thieneman will likely start next season alongside free agent signing Coby Bryant.
When you look back at the 2026 NFL Draft, it's highly likely that Dillon Thieneman is viewed as the biggest steal of the 1st round, if not the entire draft. Considering all the ways that he can be deployed, Thieneman will instantly help upgrade the Bears defense as this team starts to push for a Super Bowl.
Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have set the offense up in a great place, and now the Bears defense will need to step up. Thieneman is a great young building block who can solidify the secondary for years to come with the potential to become one of the best in the NFL.
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