NEWSLETTER
Here is some good news as we wind down the month of June: The Chicago Bears salary cap situation looks healthy.
OK, that might not be the Bears news you’re looking for on the final Wednesday of June. However, I’m in a good mental space and wanted to share something positive regarding Chicago’s football team. Follow along with me for just a moment.
Even after spending a chunk of money in bringing in new starters such as D’Andre Swift and Keenan Allen, extending Jaylon Johnson, and rounding out the roster with depth in a variety of places, the Bears cap health is as good as it has been in a while. This is a testament to General Manager Ryan Poles, Assistant GM Ian Cunningham, and everyone else in that front office. It hasn’t always been this good from a cap health standpoint, and I don’t want to take it for granted.
And how is this for more good news? The Bears still have an ample amount of salary cap space left at their disposal.
An updated look at what Chicago is working with via OverTheCap.com has the Bears at $21,545,204 under the 2024 NFL salary cap.
That $21,545,204 number also represents Chicago’s Effective Cap Space situation, which OTC describes as what a given after signing at least 51 players (commonly referred to as the top-51) and its projected rookie class. You might be aware that the Bears still have to sign first-round draft picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. But even when those deals go down, the Bears salary cap situation still looks healthy. Whew.
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Chicago Bears salary cap update: What can Ryan Poles do with that space?
First, let’s address the obvious: Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze will eat up a chunk of that space. OverTheCap has Caleb’s cap hit for Year 1 of his first NFL deal to be valued at $7,179,283. Meanwhile, the forecasted cap number for the first year of Rome’s rookie contract is $4,131,727. Again, the Bears salary cap situation will still allow for some wiggle room once those deals go down and become officially official. It’s just that it will be slightly less. But, hey, I’m willing to fork over cap space for rookie deals with players who have the potential that Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze possess.
This team’s biggest needs are along the defensive line. I don’t think they’ll find the type of butt-kicking three-technique defensive tackle who can serve as an anchor for the Matt Eberflus-called defense. However, unearthing a starting-caliber defensive end who can start on the opposite side of the formation from Montez Sweat seems doable. And I think adding help can happen without hurting the Bears salary cap positioning.
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It is possible that the Bears already have that guy on the roster with DeMarcus Walker. But adding another useful piece to the puzzle could allow Eberflus to deploy Walker in a variety of different roles, which is probably the best way to use the 29-year-old defensive lineman. I still think a reunion with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is something that would make sense for both sides. But it’s not like he is the only option among edge defenders who the Bears can turn to for help.
As someone who bangs the table for offensive line help, I’m not opposed to using the Bears salary cap flexibility on a pursuit of Connor Williams. However, the positional versatility that could bring added value is apparently not in the cards since Williams wants to play center and not guard. Even still … Williams is talented enough to have the Bears’ attention if the price is right.
In the end, I’m happy the Bears salary cap situation is in good shape. And I’m glad they could still stand to add pieces. Here’s hoping that if they do use it, they use it wisely.
