Bears are in even better shape to make some splashes this offseason to kick off the Ben Johnson Era thanks to latest NFL news
The Chicago Bears are expected to have the sixth-most cap space in the NFL to use to strengthen the roster and found out they'll get some more money to play with this offseason. According to Over The Cap, the Bears are originally expected to have $62.97 million in cap space for 2025.That was already some solid […]
The Chicago Bears are expected to have the sixth-most cap space in the NFL to use to strengthen the roster and found out they'll get some more money to play with this offseason. According to Over The Cap, the Bears are originally expected to have $62.97 million in cap space for 2025.
That was already some solid dough to create some serious damage this offseason, and many already expected the Bears to be top spenders entering the first season of the Ben Johnson Era.
Well, now things are looking even better. OTC originally projected the 2025 salary cap for all 32 teams to be $275 million, and in fact, it's going to be more than that.
ESPN's Dan Graziano revealed on Wednesday that the NFL informed teams the 2025 salary cap will range from $277.5-$281.5 million. Saying it's the high number at $281.5 million, that would represent a $26.1 million increase from the 2024 salary cap.
What does this mean for the Bears? Well now the new cap space for the Bears is going to be somewhere between $67 million and $71 million, which gives the team even more money to work with this offseason. Here's how the Bears could use that money:
Free Agency
The Bears were primed to be big spenders in free agency, even before the new salary cap number. Many believe the Bears will target some high-end offensive line talent and earlier this week were linked to Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith and Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman, each of whom are the top free agents at their respective positions.
The hunt for Smith will command a bulk of the team's cap space saying the Bears are able to land the #2 ranked free agent. And Dalman won't be far behind with his expected price tag. I fully expect the Bears to land at least one of those guys plus some bargain players at other positions that wouldn't break the bank.
Draft
Right now, the Bears will have eight selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, including the 10th overall pick. They might even get another added if assistant general manager Ian Cunningham gets hired as the Jacksonville Jaguars general manager this week. The rookie salaries for those incoming draft picks will eat into the cap as well.
Re-Signings
The biggest name on this list would be Keenan Allen, who is projected to land somewhere close to a $11 million per year deal on the open market. The added cap could help the Bears' chances of bringing back the veteran wide receiver, but all signs point toward the team moving on. The same goes for left guard Teven Jenkins.
However, players such as Darrell Taylor, Jacob Martin, Travis Homer, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Matt Pryor, etc. could come back to Chicago for 2025.
Extensions
At least one long-term extension should be expected this offseason for the Bears. And that extension would be for nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon. Gordon will likely land a new deal with the Bears that would pay him $10+ per year. Another potential extension candidate is safety Jaquan Brisker, although he suffered his third concussion in three years which could complicate things until he's back on the field.
At the end of the day, this news is huge for the Bears. No one will turn down having more spending money and the Bears plan to use a good chuck of it this offseason.
