New Cap Data Shows Ryan Poles Has Put Together A Masterwork

The Chicago Bears made five big moves over the space of the past week to overhaul their roster. They secured three new starting interior offensive linemen, a defensive end, and a defensive tackle. Combined, they will count $56.47 million against the salary cap this year, and all except guard Joe Thuney are under contract through 2027. He should be receiving a contract extension at some point in the near future. While necessary, GM Ryan Poles' moves have all but swallowed up any viable cap space for the foreseeable future.

That would be a gigantic miscalculation. In truth, Poles and cap manager Matt Feinstein have not only kept the Bears enough under the cap in 2025 to handle any remaining business, but they've left the door wide open for future aggressive moves in 2026. Presuming there is another $10 million cap jump next year, the Bears are projected to have $67 million in space. That doesn't even account for the multiple moves they could make to free up even more.

For example, by cutting or trading Tremaine Edmunds and D'Andre Swift, they would jump to over $90 million.

Ryan Poles has maintained his promise to protect the books.

He always said the team would be selective in free agency. They aren't afraid to be aggressive but rarely throw away money unnecessarily. None of the contracts they've handed out over the past week can be called overpays. All were well within the projections of what those players would command, and some were even cheaper than expected. The Bears have more than enough space to extend Thuney, cornerback Kyler Gordon, and even left tackle Braxton Jones if that is the direction they choose to go. Even then, they'd still have wiggle room to go after a big name.

There could be plenty to choose from in 2026. Standouts like Drake London, Jameson Williams, Tyler Smith, George Karlaftis, Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker, and Ikem Ekwonu will headline the group. Obviously, most of those big names will be retained by their current teams via extensions or the franchise tag. Still, two or three are bound to reach the open market. Ryan Poles has given the Bears an opportunity to remain on the attack.