The Chicago Bears made a splash yesterday prior to the NFL trade deadline by acquiring Washington Commanders defense end Montez Sweat.

The move has seemingly split the fanbase given the high draft pick given up to obtain the highly sought defensive lineman. Things for the Bears fanbase looked even more grim considering the San Francisco 49ers parted ways with a late third-round pick in exchange for fellow Commanders edge rusher Chase Young shortly after.

However, the Bears made the right move by striking quickly on Sweat and in turn received the more productive and dependable option out of the two. Now, the Bears need to pay their new defensive weapon, who is currently on an expiring contract.

This is where the aggressive move pays off for the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles. Many fans were questioning why the Bears made a move at the deadline for a pass rusher as opposed to waiting until free agency to strike on the loaded free agent class. The answer is simple, market value.

By acquiring Sweat now, the Bears gave themselves a much larger window to work out a long-term extension with Sweat before the market skyrockets at the position during free agency. The Bears will still be paying a handsome penny and Sweat will still receive a much deserved payout, but the Bears will save millions by striking first.

For the team projected to have the most cap space in the NFL this offseason at over $110M, penny pinching doesn't sound right in theory. However, the Bears have multiple holes on the roster and saving money on the Sweat extension now can allow the Bears to allocate the rest of the leftover money to other potential free agents.

Here's what Bears fans should expect the extension for Sweat to possibly look like. According to Spotrac, Sweat is expected to earn a 4-year, $102 million contract. The expectation is that the deal with roughly be around $25.5 million annually. Here's how that number compares to the expected market values for the other potential free agent edge rushers the Bears will be missing out on this offseason, per Spotrac.

CAR Brian Burns: 5 years, $117 million (23.4 million annually)
SF Chase Young: 4 years, $71 million (17.8 million annually)
MIN Marcus Davenport: 4 years, $93.1 million (23.3 million annually)

Based on these numbers, it looks like the Bears will be overpaying for Sweat. However, once the Bears lock him in on a long-term deal those expected numbers for the other three players will skyrocket. That's not even factoring in Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, who currently leads the NFL with 10 sacks, and his upcoming deal.

It would also be smart for the Bears to iron out a deal with Sweat before Young and the 49ers agree to a deal that raises the bar at the position first. Unfortunately for Chicago, their division rivals in Green Bay already upped the price for an edge rusher after extending Rashan Gary on Monday. Including Gary's new deal, here's how the latest top contracts have looked at the position.

GB Rashan Gary: 4-years, $107 million (96 million in new money, 24 million annually)
SF Nick Bosa: 5-years, $170 million (34 million annually)
MIN Danielle Hunter: 1-year, $17 million (17 million annually)
CIN Trey Hendrickson: 1-year, $21 million (21 million annually)
PIT Alex Highsmith: 4-years, $68 million (17 million annually)

The monster deals signed by Gary and Bosa pushed them to the top of the position in terms of annual money. Here's a full look at the current top five leading edge rushers in terms of annual salary.

SF Nick Bosa: $34 million annually
PIT T.J. Watt: $28 million annually
LAC Joey Bosa: $27 million annually
CLE Myles Garrett: $25 million annually
GB Rashan Gary: $24 million annually

Sweat, Burns, and Hunter all have the potential to land within this top five once it's all said in done. The Bears have the luxury of being able to set that new magic number before all the others. Khalil Mack, Leonard Williams, Denico Autry, and Josh Allen are four others who could be eligible for new extensions during the upcoming offseason. 

If Chicago is able to agree to an extension with Sweat that will be below $26 million annually, Bears fans should be ecstatic. That would mean locking your new star in for multiple years on a contract that will look like a bargain by the time the 2024 season rolls around. Then, the Bears can use the rest of their draft picks and available cap space to continue fleshing out the rest of the roster. Trust the process.

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What happens next?