Bears Cashing in on Salary Cap Dump

Thanks largely to the efforts of GM Ryan Poles in last year's salary cap dump, the Bears are sitting in an excellent situation through 2025 for spending according to Pro Football Focus.

PFF salary cap expert Brad Spielberger has the Bears at second overall for available cap space through the next three seasons at $294.6 million total. Only the New England Patriots, at $353.9 million, have more available cap space for those three years.

The Bears have the fifth-least amount of cash devoted to veteran valuation at $275.8 million over those three years. The Bears have the lowest amount of cash being prorated against their salary cap at $84.7 million.

What this all means is they are set up well for a second Justin Fields contract if this is the direction they intend to go. Considering they have that much left for the next three years, and currently have over $32 million in cap space, they are set up well for signing their 2024 free agents to contract extensions.

Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney, Jaylon Johnson, Chase Claypool and Trevis Gipson are among Bears players currently set to become free agents in 2024 if they are not given extensions before then.

Although the Bears are set up so well for cap space at the moment, it doesn't mean they're about to own the NFC North. Detroit has the sixth-most available cap space at $252.9 million and Minnesota the ninth most at $231.6 million.

Green Bay is 18th at $156.1 million for the next three years.

"The growth will come from a roster that is currently the fourth youngest in the NFL, and if Justin Fields takes the next step this season, Chicago still has a ton of ammo with an extra first-round pick in 2024 from the Carolina Panthers," Spielberger points out.

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