Bears can clear tons of cap space this offseason, but it includes some risks not worth gambling on

Restructuring is the easiest way to create immediate cap relief but the Chicago Bears need to be hesitant.

Kole Noble — Chicago Bears News Writer

Feb 11, 2026 11:52 AM EST

Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney (62) and center Drew Dalman (52) run onto the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. — Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney (62) and center Drew Dalman (52) run onto the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears enter into the offseason $5.3 million over the updated salary cap projections according to Over The Cap and will need to do some in-house maintenance until the team can even think about re-signing pending free agent or adding any external players.

The first wave of decisions expected to come down the line is moving on from potential cap casualties, or working out a new deal to adjust the cap hit numbers. Two players that immediately come to mind in that conversation are LB Tremaine Edmunds and TE Cole Kmet.

The other wave of decisions ahead of free agency that teams can explore to free up some space involves restructuring existing contracts to push 2026 money into future years. It’s a risky process but something that’s becoming more and more common in the NFL. Here are some of the contracts the Bears could consider adjusting to potentially free up over $60 million in space.

Contracts the Bears could consider restructuring and despite the risk involved

WR DJ Moore

Let’s kick the process off with the team’s highest cap hit going into the 2026 season. There’s a lot of speculation about wide receiver DJ Moore’s future with the team given his 2026 price tag and the lack of statistical production he had last season. Moore’s salary for 2026 was already guaranteed last year of $23,485,000 but the Bears can still look to spread out his base salary over the remaining three years of his contract. The Bears could save a maximum of $17.5 million by playing with Moore’s contract but doing so would make it harder to move on from him following the 2026 season. If the Bears plan to eventually move on, this would not be a wise decision to make. But, if he’s indeed in the long-term plans still, it’s an option.

DE Montez Sweat

Now let’s look at the second-highest cap hit in defensive end Montez Sweat. Coming off a double-digit sack season, Sweat is clearly in the team’s long term plans with two years remaining on his current deal. After the 2026 season, Sweat will no longer have any guarantees remaining on his deal, setting up for a pivotal season if no changes are made to his contract. Just like with Moore, if the Bears feel confident in Sweat’s future, the team can spread out his base salary of $20.9 million over the remaining two years to save $9.8 million or $13.1 million with a void year added to the deal.

LG Joe Thuney

After trading for Joe Thuney, the Bears quickly reached an extension that keeps him under contract through the 2027 season, a process that already looks like a steal with Thuney coming off an All-Pro season while being named as the first ever Protector of the Year. Given his age (33-years-old), the Bears would ideally look to avoid adding void years to his contract but spreading his 2026 base salary over the next two years can save the Bears $7.4 million in 2026. Given his level of play, I would certainly consider this as a viable option.

C Drew Dalman

This is where I would really consider adding the void year. Drew Dalman is coming off a Pro Bowl season and also under contract through 2027. He’s 27-years-old and easily in the team’s long-term plans beyond the next two seasons. I’d be fine tacking on a void year to spread out his base salary, which would then lower his 2026 cap hit by $7.4 million.

Deals the Bears should absolutely avoid restructuring this offseason

DT Grady Jarrett

This deal has already aged poorly for the Bears following Jarrett’s first season in Chicago that was negatively impacted due to a knee injury. Jarrett is signed through the 2027 season but doesn’t have any guarantees remaining after this season, and would save Chicago $12.75 million as a potential cut candidate next season. He’s also 32-years-old. This isn’t a deal I would touch if I were the Bears, even if restructuring it can save $8.7 million in 2026.

DE Dayo Odeyingbo

The same goes for Odeyingbo’s deal, another bad decision by the Bears front office from last offseason. Even before suffering a torn Achilles, Odeyingbo wasn’t offering the level of production the Bears were hoping for. Now he’s set to have a $20.5 million cap hit for 2026. The Bears could look to lower that by $9.5 million, but just like with Jarrett, it might be easier to hold off touching the deal and potentially looking to move on next offseason if he fails to offer any value defensively.

RG Jonah Jackson

Money-wise, this is the gold mine for the Bears to free up some space. Restructuring Jackson’s deal would save the Bears up to $9 million without including any extra void years. However, I’d rather re-work Dalman and Thuney’s deal before touching Jackson’s contract. When the Bears re-worked Jackson’s deal after acquiring him from the Rams, they already added in salary escalators to the deal that he’s set to hit based on play-time. I wouldn’t look to change anything else beyond that.

CB Jaylon Johnson

This is another one the Bears already previously adjusted last offseason to free up $8 million in 2025. Doing so again would just be kicking the can down the road for a player that dealt with a pretty severe injury this past season. It’s an option, and one that could save $9.2 million, but I don’t see the Bears pushing more of his money into the final years of his deal.