We Finally Have Some Clarity On Ryan Bates' Future With The Bears

One of the more disappointing acquisitions of the 2024 season by the Chicago Bears was guard Ryan Bates. They gave up a 5th round pick for him in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Then they traded a 4th rounder to Buffalo to get that pick back so they could take Austin Booker. Bates hardly played last season despite high hopes he could be a starter. Injuries haunted him all year. GM Ryan Poles took plenty of heat for the move, adding to his growing reputation for bad miscalculations along the offensive line.

Since then, the Bears have been busy. In a span of less than a week, they added three new starters to the offensive line: center Drew Dalman, left guard Joe Thuney, and right guard Jonah Jackson. That leaves Bates' status with the team in significant doubt. Some wonder if he will be gone, especially if the Bears look to keep building the line in the draft. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asked about it. His answer feels important to keep in mind for what's next.

The impression I get is the Bears, at minimum, want to see Bates in the mix as a reserve this summer. He earned a $500,000 roster bonus on the third day of the league year, and if the team was looking to create a little cap savings and save on some cash, it would have released him before that. He has a $3.4 million base salary and a $100,000 workout bonus. The $500,000 roster bonus doesn’t lock down a spot for Bates, but it is evidence the team wants to have him in the pool of options.

Physically, Bates should be in a much better position than he was last summer, and if that remains the case, he could offer some value as an experienced backup.

Ryan Bates controls his own destiny.

Before anything, he needs one thing to happen. He needs his body to hold together. That is partially why Buffalo felt comfortable trading him and why he's on the roster bubble again with the Bears. Ryan Bates is a solid player. He can be an excellent swing backup capable of starting at all three interior positions. Somebody like that has great value to a team. Of course, he must prove it. Head coach Ben Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar have no plans to hand anybody a job. They must earn it. This upcoming training camp figures to be a competitive one. Bates likely hopes the team doesn't stay aggressive in adding to the position next month.