Tag: Bears salary cap

Latest Bears salary cap update ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The Bears are in a solid spot with the salary cap ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Here’s an update on their latest available cap space.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2024 NFL draft, which kicks off tonight in Detroit, Mich.

The Bears have two top-10 selections, including the first overall pick (thanks to the Carolina Panthers). It’s been known for weeks that quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be the pick at No. 1. But Chicago also has the ninth overall selection, which presents more intrigue with different possibilities.

The Bears had one of the best salary cap situations ahead of free agency. General manager Ryan Poles made some splashes, including adding weapons like wide receiver Keenan Allen (via trade), running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett, along with safety Kevin Byard. Now, ahead of the draft, Chicago remains in a great place with the cap.

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According to Over The Cap, the Bears currently have $22.81 million in available salary cap space, which is the 12th most in the NFL. They currently have 68 players on their roster, and they’ll need to get that number to 90 by training camp.

It’s more than enough to sign their new rookie class — which currently would consist of just four players — and gives Chicago some freedom to make some additional moves in free agency to add a slew of undrafted free agents or veterans after the draft.

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Bears’ updated salary cap space after first wave of free agency

Following the first week of free agency, here’s where the Bears stand with the salary cap.

The Chicago Bears had a busy first week of free agency, where they welcomed several new faces to the roster via signing and trades.

General manager Ryan Poles added some new weapons in wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett for his new rookie quarterback (to be named). Poles also shored up the defense with the additions of safeties Kevin Byard and Jonathan Owens, along with re-signing star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

Even after all of that, Chicago still has the fifth most salary cap space in the NFL after the first wave of free agency.

According to Over The Cap, the Bears have $30.89 million in cap space, which is behind the Commanders, Patriots, Titans and Eagles. Chicago’s total doesn’t include Gerald Everett, Coleman Shelton, Dante Pettis, Matt Pryor, Brett Rypien, Jake Curhan, Jake Martin or Amen Ogbongbemiga’s contracts — as the full details aren’t out yet. But the Bears are still in a favorable position.

Here’s a look at the individual cap hits for some of Chicago’s new additions:

  • WR Keenan Allen: $23.1 million
  • S Kevin Byard: $6.47 million
  • RB D’Andre Swift: $5.8 million
  • OL Ryan Bates: $4 million
  • S Jonathan Owens: $2.2 million

Heading into the second week of free agency, Poles still has needs on the defensive line, including edge rusher and defensive tackle, and wide receiver. While those positions figure to be focal points in the NFL draft, there are some quality players still left on the board.

How Jaylon Johnson’s extension impacts Bears’ salary cap

The Bears signed star cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a four-year contract extension. Here’s how it impact Chicago’s salary cap in 2024.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a long-term extension with Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, locking down a key piece to the team’s ascending young defense.

Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million deal with $54 million guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, $43.8 million of it is guaranteed at signing with $28 million guaranteed in the first year. Johnson will make $60 million in the first three years of the deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

That comes out to $19 million per year, which is slightly under the $19.8 million he would’ve received on the franchise tag. It’s a huge deal for the Bears, who locked down their star cornerback even with the salary cap increasing substantially this offseason.

So how does that impact Chicago’s salary cap in 2024?

Factoring in Johnson’s $19 million cap hit in 2024 — which is $800,000 less than what he would’ve played on the franchise tag — the Bears are slated to have $57.26 million in salary cap space, sixth most in the NFL. That’s still plenty for general manager Ryan Poles as he looks to address some key positions in free agency.

Johnson, 24, is coming off a career year with Chicago, where he set a career-high four interceptions, 36 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 14 games while also emerging as a top cover cornerback in the NFL. Johnson earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods for his impressive 2023 campaign.

How trade for Ryan Bates impacts Bears’ salary cap in 2024

The Bears have agreed to terms with the Bills to acquire OL Ryan Bates. Here’s how it impacts the Bears’ salary cap in 2024.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with the Buffalo Bills to acquire offensive lineman Ryan Bates in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round selection. The trade won’t be official until the start of the new league year and pending a physical.

The addition of Bates adds depth along the interior offensive line. Bates, who’s appeared in 73 games with 19 starts, has experience playing right guard and center — most of that coming at guard.

But how does the Bates’ acquisition impact the Bears’ salary cap in 2024?

Chicago signed Bates to an offer sheet back in March 2022, but Buffalo matched it giving him a four-year, $17 million deal with $8.85 million in guarantees.

According to Over the Cap, Bates’ remaining contract is two years for $8 million. Bates is slated to have salary cap hit of $4 million both in 2024 and 2025.

Chicago is sitting in a prime position this offseason with the salary cap. They’re slated to have roughly $75 million, fourth most in the league, to shore up different roster needs in free agency — and perhaps even re-sign some of their own.

What Bears CB Jaylon Johnson would make on the franchise tag in 2024

If the Bears use the franchise tag on CB Jaylon Johnson, we now know how much he’d make on the tag in 2024.

Free agency is just around the corner, where the Chicago Bears have some important decisions to make as they build their roster.

That includes determining the fate of one of their own in cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who’s set to hit the open market following a career year in 2023. Johnson and the Bears have been working toward a long-term contract extension, but it seems as if the two sides are still far apart on the terms.

General manager Ryan Poles made it clear that Johnson isn’t going anywhere, which means he’s confident in the two sides agreeing to a long-term extension or having the franchise tag as insurance.

Teams that utilize a tag have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal with a player. If there is no deal agreed upon, the player will play out the 2024 season on that one-year tag.

For Johnson, the franchise tag would pay him the average of the top five salaries at his position. With the 2024 salary cap now set at $255.4 million, the franchise and transition tag numbers for the upcoming season have also been finalized.

If the Bears do in fact use the franchise tag on Johnson — and fail to come to a long-term agreement by the deadline — then the tag would pay him $19.8 million in 2024.

The hope remains that Johnson and the Bears are able to work out a long-term deal. But the franchise tag remains an option for Poles.

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How NFL’s $255.4M salary cap will impact Bears in 2024

The NFL finalized its 2024 salary cap at $255.4 million. Here’s how much cap space the Bears have this season.

The NFL announced they’ve set the 2024 salary cap at $255.4 million per team, which is up a whopping $30.6 million from the 2023 season.

That increase stems as a result of the full repayment of all amounts advanced by clubs and deferred by the players during the COVID pandemic, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, as well as an increase in media revenue for 2024.

There will be an additional $74 million per club for player benefits, including Performance Based Pay and benefits for retired players.

So how does this increased salary cap impact the Bears in 2024?

While OverTheCap projected Chicago to have around $67 million, third most in the league, that amount increased by more than $13 million with the finalized salary cap. The Bears officially have $80.39 million in salary cap space for the 2024 season.

General manager Ryan Poles has plenty of resources at his disposal to make this a franchise-altering offseason for Chicago. Not only do the Bears have two top-10 picks, including the No. 1 selection, but they have the third most salary cap space in the league at $80.39 million.

There are several positions of need for Poles to address this offseason, including edge rusher, center, safety, wide receiver and tight end. With plenty of big names set to hit the open market in free agency, Chicago has the resources to land some impact veterans, if they choose.

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Bears release Eddie Jackson, Cody Whitehair

The Bears have released safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, freeing up a good amount of salary cap space.

The Chicago Bears have released safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, the team announced Thursday. Jackson and Whitehair were the team’s longest-tenured players.

The moves don’t come as a surprise considering both Jackson and Whitehair’s substantial cap hits of $18.14 million and $13.25 million, respectively.

The Bears freed up $21.71 million in salary cap space with the two moves. Jackson’s release cleared up $12.56 million with Whitehair’s release freeing up $9.15 million, per Over The Cap.

Jackson was drafted by Chicago in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft, where he quickly established himself as a playmaker. Jackson earned Pro Bowl honors in 2018 and 2019 and was first-team All-Pro in 2018. In seven seasons with the Bears, Jackson totaled 459 tackles, 15 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 14 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. He also scored six defensive touchdowns, which is tied for the third-most in franchise history.

Whitehair was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, where he became a mainstay along the interior offensive line. Whitehair appeared in 124 games, including 118 starts, in eight seasons with Chicago. He spent his first three years at center before moving back to his natural guard position. Whitehair was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018.

Chicago was originally slated to have around $47 million in available cap space before free agency. Now, the Bears are projected to have $67 million in cap space — the third most in the NFL, per OTC — which gives them plenty to work with as they continue to build their roster.

Bears salary cap: Breakdown of 2023 dead cap after roster cuts

Here’s a look at how the $30.3 million in dead money breaks down for the Bears after roster cuts.

The Chicago Bears made a slew of roster moves as they assembled their 53-man roster heading into the 2023 NFL season.

That included some difficult cuts, which featured some prominent names in quarterback P.J. Walker and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, who both added some dead money to the 2023 salary cap.

According to Over The Cap, the Bears have $30.31 million in dead money for the 2022 season, which ranks 22nd in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($76.76 million) and Los Angeles Rams ($74.97 million) have the most dead money in the league.

Here is a look at the 14 players who are responsible for the team’s dead money. (All figures are from Over The Cap).

How much the Bears are spending on each position in 2023

Here’s a look at how the salary cap breaks down for the Bears by position in 2023.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has continued retooling the roster in his second offseason, which included addressing some key holes with impact veterans in free agency and the NFL draft.

Currently, the Bears have $32.03 million in available cap space, which is the most in the NFL. Which means they might not be done making moves just yet, especially at edge rusher.

The Bears have allocated the most money to the offense with $97.93 million compared to $86.48 million on defense. When you break it down, Chicago is spending among the most cap space at offensive line, wide receiver and linebacker

Let’s take a look at how the salary cap breaks down for the Bears in 2023 by position, according to Spotrac.

Bears salary cap breakdown entering 2023 season

Where do the Bears stand in terms of the salary cap entering the summer? Here’s a quick breakdown of Chicago’s cap situation.

It’s been a busy offseason for Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who’s continued to retool the roster in his second year. That included added some big-name veterans like receiver DJ Moore and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and finding impact players in the NFL draft.

While Poles was in a rough situation when he took over the Bears last offseason, he cleared a lot of bad contracts last offseason and helped free up the salary cap in 2023, where they’ve had the most cap space since before the start of free agency.

Where do the Bears stand in terms of the salary cap entering the summer? Here’s a quick breakdown of Chicago’s cap situation.