The Chicago Bears aren't all about the 2024 NFL draft. People forget there is still free agency to tackle next month. GM Ryan Poles may not plan to spend a ton of money, but he will have more than enough cap space to take at least one big swing if he wishes. As of earlier this week, projections had the salary cap for 2024 hovering around $245 million. That meant the Bears would secure over $66 million in space after releasing Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair. Even with a large chunk of that expected to go to Jaylon Johnson, it still gives them flexibility.
Now, official word has come out. The cap will be significantly higher, according to insiders. Over $10 million higher, in fact.
Over The Cap recently updated its projections with this new information. The Bears will now have over $80 million in cap space once the new league year begins. That would be the third-most in the league. Even after extending Johnson and some of their other in-house free agents, they will have a ton of wiggle room to go hunting for a big name if they wish.
The Chicago Bears will most likely take one big swing in free agency.
Poles has said many times that having a lot of money doesn't mean you should spend it all. Having a strict budget is essential to maintain proper cap health. It is why the Bears passed on several free agents last year who would've made a ton of sense for them. The likeliest outcome next month will be as follows.
Chicago will work to retain Johnson either via extension or the franchise tag. A few others, such as Justin Jones, might also return on an affordable deal. Then Poles will look to strike quickly when the market opens on one big name. Based on how the roster looks at the moment, the three positions to watch are wide receiver, center, and edge rusher. There will be intriguing options available at all three. Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley, Lloyd Cushenberry, Brian Burns, and Chris Jones are only some of the names to watch.
If and when the Chicago Bears secure their big fish, Poles will shift to second and third-tier options to help fill out the roster depth before shifting focus to the draft. Much of how this plays out will be determined by the franchise tag deadline, which is March 5th. Whichever players don't receive it will become the premium targets when things kick off.
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