The Bears have a bunch of their own players headed for free agency, including a few that played significant roles in 2024. They have exclusive rights to re-sign those players, if they so choose, until the new league years begins March 12.

They’ve also got some valuable players eligible for contract extensions for the first time following their third professional season.

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• Bair Mail: On Keenan Allen, Braxton Jones and NFL draft depth

And they’ve got a few contracts maybe worth more than the production received for them. While it’s not necessarily expected, it’s possible the Bears could cut some veteran players to gain more financial flexibility now or, more likely down the line.

General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will have some tough player-related decisions to make and business to address over the next month or so.

Let’s dive into all that in the third State of the Bears installment:

Contract extensions

Kyler Gordon

This one’s obvious. The talented slot cornerback was positively singled out by head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Kyler Gordon in their initial comments representing the Bears. Allen said he has a “vision” for using Gordon, who was so good as a cover man and run defender that he rarely left the field.

The 2022 second-round draft pick is eligible for an extension this offseason, and that seems like a no brainer during a period where the Bears have plenty of cap space. Gordon won’t get any cheaper if he thrives working with Allen, so it’s better to lock down a deal now.

Michal Carter II signed a three-year deal with the Jets worth $30.75 million with $18 million in guarantees. Going above that could (theoretically) make for a good deal for both sides and could create some cap space in ’25 but, either way, this should be a market-setting deal for slot cornerbacks. By how much remains to be seen.

T.J. Edwards

This one is far from mandatory, considering that Edwards has a $5.4 million base salary set for 2025 but nothing beyond that. He’s an impact three-down starter set to hit free agency in 2026, and he could trade some open market value for more security down the line.

As a note, there are other good players set to hit free agency in 2026, including Andrew Billings and Jaquan Brisker and even Kevin Byard III, but there are some health concerns or age that might put the player and/or the team into a wait-and-see mode regarding contract status.

Re-signings

Keenan Allen

This is the top impending free agent from the Bears 2024 roster, one of the best receivers of his era. Allen’s now 32 years old and coming off his lowest production when playing at least 15 games. There’s some context to that, considering his early foot issues and the Bears’ overall offensive struggles down the stretch.

As we discussed in this week’s Bair Mail, Allen ranks high among Caleb Williams’ favorite players. He stated his preference to play in Chicago or Los Angeles, though his freight will be the determining factor. Spotrac estimates Allen’s next deal at around $11 million in average annual value. Does that fit into the Bears budget, considering other needs along both lines? Or would they go a bit cheaper at the position?

Teven Jenkins

It sure seems like this one isn’t happening. The standout left guard seemed pessimistic about a possible return right after the regular season. That’s understandable, considering how Jenkins has battled injury throughout his career. He hasn’t played a full season in his NFL career, and struggled to finish several games he started in 2024.

Jenkins is a really good player when healthy and is a quality contributor when he’s on the field. It’s a gamble to pay significant funds to someone frequently unavailable – Spotrac estimates him getting at $10.1 million annual valuation — which is why it seems likely Jenkins is moving on.

Other options

It’s easy to see the Bears bringing back some role players headed for unrestricted free agency, even with new coaching and new systems coming in. Count offensive lineman Matt Pyror, return man DeAndre Carter, pass rusher Jacob Martin, tight end Marcedes Lewi  and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga and possibly running back Travis Homer among that group, especially with returning special teams coordinator Richard Hightower at Halas Hall to vouch for them.

Possible cuts

Gerald Everett

The list of veteran cuts isn’t long, considering the Bears healthy cap situation and the relative lack of deals that could save significant cap space without a bunch of dead money. Veteran tight end Gerald Everett seems like one. He wasn’t used much in 2024, and the Bears can save $5.5 million in cap space (with $1 million in dead money), which could be better used on a depth piece or regular contributor.

Ryan Bates

The Bears can save $4 million, without any dead money, by releasing the versatile interior lineman. Again, the Bears don’t need the cap space, so they can let the offseason program play out and see how he fits in with the current scheme and coaching staff. If it doesn’t workout, the cut’s easy. If he’s a starter or reserve, his contract fits in either role.

Kevin Byard III

Don’t do it. This is not a move worth making, but made the list because the Bears could save $7 million by releasing the veteran safety. That said, they don’t need the space. Also, Byard was an excellent leader and quality player who executed 1,055 defensive snaps in 2024. Cutting him would be starting over at a safety spot. That makes no sense, considering Jaquan Brisker’s health issues. Byard has great value to a new coaching staff, with a veteran presence everyone respects.

Also, of quick note, the dead money associated by cutting running back D’Andre Swift or off-the-ball linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is massive and not worth the cut. It’s better to see if talented players can rebound from relative down seasons in 2025 than to let them go.

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