Heading into the offseason, the Chicago Bears are sitting in a good position with the salary cap. With the cap expected to increase to $208.2 million, the Bears are expected to have nearly $30 million in available cap space, which ranks 11th in the NFL.
New general manager Ryan Poles has a lot of work to do with the roster, where there are a number of holes that need to be filled at key positions, including wide receiver, offensive line and cornerback.
While Chicago sits in a comfortable position in regards to the salary cap, Poles can create even more cap space by cutting some players, including some whose futures remain up-in-the-air.
Here’s a look at some Bears who could become cap casualties this offseason:
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Potential savings: $3.2 million
Danny Trevathan is an obvious cut candidate for the Bears following his decline over the last couple of years. Trevathan, who signed a three-year contract extension back in 2020, has struggled to stay on the field with injuries. But even when healthy, Trevathan lost his starting job to Alec Ogletree. It’s hard to imagine Trevathan will factor into Chicago’s plans in 2022. The Bears can free up $3.2 million in cap space. Trevathan figures to be a post-June 1 cut as it would only cost $2.4 million in dead money compared to $8.8 million pre-June 1.
Total potential savings: $3.2 million
Kena Krutsinger-USA TODAY Sports
Potential savings: $8.8 million
For awhile, Eddie Goldman was one of the NFL’s most underrated nose tackles, which earned him a contract extension back in 2018. But after taking last season off due to COVID-19, he returned with an underwhelming performance in 2021. Given Goldman’s $11.8 million cap hit in 2022, Poles has an important decision to make about whether Goldman is a fit in Chicago’s new 4-3 scheme or if it’s worth looking elsewhere at defensive tackle. If the Bears were to part ways with Goldman, he’d make sense as a post-June 1 cut, where the cap savings of $8.8 million would be $2.2 million more and would cost just $2.9 million in dead money compared to $5.2 million.
Total potential savings: $11 million
RB Tarik Cohen
AP Photo/Jose Juarez
Potential savings: $4 million
After suffering a torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2020 season, Tarik Cohen was expected to make his return to the lineup last season. Instead, he missed the entire 2021 season after suffering a setback in his rehab. Cohen, who signed a three-year extension back in 2020, admitted that he didn’t feel ready to return. Now, Cohen’s future is uncertain heading into the 2022 season. The Bears have a solid running backs room in place with David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, and Cohen figures to be a potential cap casualty. The Bears could save upwards of $4 million by parting ways with Cohen, which would likely happen as a post-June 1 cut. It would only cost $1.8 million in dead money compared to $3.5 million.
Total potential savings: $15 million
QB Nick Foles
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Potential savings: $3 million
Nick Foles remains a potential but not likely cap casualty heading into the 2022 season. Foles, who was brought in to compete as the starter in 2020, found himself third on the depth chart last season behind Justin Fields and Andy Dalton. Now, Foles projects to serve as Fields’ backup quarterback in the final year of his deal. Foles is slated to have a $10.6 cap hit in 2022, which isn’t ideal for a backup. The Bears could save $3 million in cap space by cutting Foles, but it would cost them $7.67 million in dead money. Chicago could also look to trade Foles this offseason, but they’d also need to have an answer at backup QB.
Total potential savings: $18 million
Total potential savings: $18 million
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
When factoring in these four potential cuts, Poles could free up around $18 million in additional cap space, which also doesn’t factor in any restructures or additional cuts.
But there are some more likely than others, where Trevathan, Goldman and Cohen face uncertain futures while Foles will likely remain on the roster barring a potential trade this offseason.
Unlikely cap casualties
USA Today Sports
When looking at the Bears roster, there are two players who would be nearly impossible to cut or trade without substantial dead money. Khalil Mack, who has three years left on his deal, is slated to have a $30.15 cap hit in 2022. And anyway you slice it, releasing or trading Mack — which was never a realistic scenario –wouldn’t be beneficial.
Then there’s Eddie Jackson, who has disappointed since signing a five-year extension in 2020. Jackson’s $15.09 cap hit in 2022 ranks third on the team behind Mack and Robert Quinn, both of whom have performed. Regardless of designation, it would cost more to get rid of Jackson than to keep him. But while trading Jackson post-June 1 would save $11 million in cap space with a modest dead money hit, it’s hard to imagine anyone willing to trade for Jackson.
1
1