Chicago Bears salary cap update: How much more can they spend this offseason?

CHICAGO (WGN) — Heading into the NFL Scouting Combine two weeks ago, the Chicago Bears and General Manager Ryan Poles had nearly $80 million in cap space to work with as the team approached free agency and the draft.

With a pair of trades and several free agency signings in place, a large chunk of that cap space has been nailed down and earmarked for the Bears’ latest roster additions, but how much more can they spend this offseason to address other needs?

Where the Bears’ salary cap currently stands

As of the publication of this article, Chicago has $37,775,494 in Top-51 cap space, according to Spotrac.

Top-51 cap space is the remaining dollar amount a team can still spend in free agency and the NFL draft. This is calculated by taking a team’s 51 most expensive cap hits when rosters are expanded to 90 in the offseason, and subtracting that number from the pre-determined NFL salary cap limit for each season.

Once the regular season begins, all 53 roster spots, players on injured reserve and a team’s 16-man practice squad are added to a team’s overall tally, with any unused cap space carrying over into next season.

The Bears have agreed to trade for two new offensive guards (Jonah Jackson from the Rams, Joe Thuney from the Chiefs) and are expected to sign a center (Former Falcon Drew Dalman), a tight end (Former Dolphin Durham Smythe) and two defensive linemen (Former Colts EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, former Falcons DT Grady Jarrett).

If no adjustments are made to their contracts, Jackson and Thuney will carry a total cap hit of $33.5 million between the two of them in 2025, according to Spotrac. This comes alongside Chicago inking Josh Blackwell (1-yr/$2.375 million), Tarvarious Moore (TBA) and Amen Ogbongbemiga (1-yr/$2.375 million) to contract extensions this offseason.

Dalman, Odeyingbo, Jarrett and Smythe’s cap hits are up in the air until the year-to-year details of their contracts are released, likely once the new league year begins Wednesday, March 12, at 3 p.m. CT.

With that being said, there are two notes worth adding here.

One, a team’s available top-51 cap space can fluctuate as contracts are renegotiated, with more space being freed up by converting some of a player’s salary into a prorated bonus that counts against the cap down the line. Two, none of these deals can become official until the new league year begins Wednesday afternoon.

Here’s a breakdown of the contract situation for each of the six players set to become members of the Bears on Wednesday, in order of newest to oldest reported transaction.

Grady Jarrett

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 31-year-old agreed to a 3-year, $43.5-million deal with $28.5 million guaranteed with Chicago Monday afternoon.

Jarrett was cut earlier in the day by the Falcons and quickly found a landing spot in the heart of the Midwest.

Dayo Odeyingbo

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Odeyingbo agreed to a three-year deal with the Bears Monday afternoon that is worth $48 million with $32 million guaranteed.

Drew Dalman

According to Schefter, Dalman and Chicago’s front office agreed to a 3-year, $42 million deal with $28 million in guarantees late Monday morning.

A cap casualty in Atlanta, Dalman was considered the top center available in free agency after grading out in the top five of the position by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics in 2023 and 2024.

Durham Smythe

On March 6, Rapoport reported that Smythe is likely to sign a 1-year deal with the Bears once the new league year begins on March 12.

Primarily a run-blocking tight end in Miami, Smythe has familiarity with Chicago’s new head coach, Ben Johnson. Smythe was a rookie in 2018 when Johnson served as wide receivers coach under then-Dolphins head coach Adam Gase.

Joe Thuney

According to multiple reports on Wednesday, March 5, the Bears agreed to trade a fourth round pick to Kansas City for two-time, first-team All-Pro guard and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney.

Thuney, 32, is currently on a 1-year, $16 million deal through the end of the 2025 NFL season.

Jonah Jackson

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin on Tuesday, March 4, Chicago agreed to trade a 2025 sixth-round pick for the Rams Jonah Jackson—a former guard under Ben Johnson when he was offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions—once the new league year begins on March 12.

Jackson, 28, was selected to the 2023 Pro Bowl, his last season in Detroit. He signed a 3-year, $51 million contract the following offseason and will carry a $17.5 million cap hit in 2025, according to Spotrac.