Bears are set up perfectly to bring in a rookie quarterback without breaking the bank on offense
The Chicago Bears are ready to enter into a new era under a new franchise quarterback expected to be selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bears front office has already done a terrific job shaping the entire roster to benefit a rookie quarterback and have created perhaps the best […]
The Chicago Bears are ready to enter into a new era under a new franchise quarterback expected to be selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Bears front office has already done a terrific job shaping the entire roster to benefit a rookie quarterback and have created perhaps the best supporting cast a first overall pick has ever walked into, and they did all of this without breaking the bank.
According to Warren Sharp, from Sharp Football, the Bears currently have the 24th ranked offense in cap space allotted in 2023. That means the Bears are in the bottom-10 in offensive spending while still stockpiling multiple top players on offense.
The Bears have spent $110.1 million on the offense with the majority of that allotted cap space coming from their top pass catchers. Wide receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen are each in the Top-5 on the Bears' roster in cap hits for the 2024 season and tight end Cole Kmet isn’t far behind them.
The main reason why the Bears are as low as they are in offensive spending, despite the high amount spent to their three top pass catchers, is because of the spending on the offensive line. Offensive guard Nate Davis has the highest cap hit on the team's offensive line while Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, and Darnell Wright are all still on rookie contracts.
Things will get even better in the future once the team brings in a rookie quarterback and resets the window to pay him, which is one of the main deciding factors that led to trading former first round pick Justin Fields. By resetting the quarterback window, the Bears can eventually allocate even more cap to surround their young signal caller with even more weapons and protection in the years to come.
Bears' Top Offensive Cap Hits in 2024
- WR Keenan Allen – $23.1 million
- WR DJ Moore – $16.1 million
- TE Cole Kmet – $11.6 million
- RG Nate Davis – $11.4 million
- RB D'Andre Swift – $5.8 million
- TE Gerald Everett – $5.5 million
- RT Darnell Wright – $4.8 million
- OL Ryan Bates – $4.0 million
- C Coleman Shelton – $3.5 million
- OT Larry Borom – $3.2 million
Main Takeaways
The Bears have done a solid job bringing in top offensive weapons while having the available space to accommodate such a high price. The additions of Moore, Allen, Swift, and Everett over the past two offseasons with give the Bears' next quarterback a solid cast of offensive weapons to utilize in the passing game.
On the offensive line, the Bears have done a tremendous job of not only evaluating starting caliber players in the draft, but also evaluating bargain outside acquisitions as well. Depending on his play in 2024, Nate Davis could be on his way out of Chicago next season given his high cap hit and he's the only offensive lineman with a $5 million or more cap hit. The other main takeaway on the offensive line is the fact that Teven Jenkins doesn’t even crack the Top-10 in offensive spending, which will soon change once a long-term extension gets agreed upon in Chicago.
By having such an inexpensive offense, the Bears have also been given the luxury to spend a high amount on the defensive side of the ball in franchise players such as Montez Sweat, Jaylon Johnson, Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Kevin Byard. Having a strong defense top to bottom will help out a rookie quarterback immensely more than having top weapons to throw to on offense.
The Bears' front office has done a stellar job at allocating their resources to create the perfect environment for a rookie quarterback to walk into and immediately contend during his first season in the league and beyond.
Multiple Bears’ players share thoughts on Caleb Williams potentially being the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
They seem to be on the same page.
