Chicago Bears: Way too early 2021 realistic offseason expectations

The Chicago Bears may be forced to cut or trade popular players

There are a number of players on this team who could be traded or cut to relieve the Bears’ cap situation. Names like Kyle Fuller, Akiem Hicks, Charles Leno Jr., and Jimmy Graham are at the top of that list.

As much as it would hurt to see it happen, the Bears trading Kyle Fuller could actually happen. They are in the same boat as the Detroit Lions were last year with Darius Slay when they were forced to trade him as they were not in contention and he was requiring big money.

If the Bears contend for a Super Bowl, they might look to hold onto Fuller to try to keep the team together. If not, they could blow it up to acquire draft capital. That is where guys like Fuller, Hicks, and even Khalil Mack could be traded.

If the Bears flop this year, and they either miss the playoffs or make them and don’t go far, could Khalil Mack be on the block? Trading him would be a huge salary relief, as well as bringing in a nice haul for the best edge rusher in the NFL. Yet, the chances they develop a rookie into a Khalil Mack type player are slim. They would basically be signaling for another rebuild.

So, a successful season could see most players returning, except maybe a cut or two on older players on bad contracts. This would also mean no trading Khalil Mack and most likely not trading Fuller.

A season not resulting in a playoff berth would most likely mean Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace being let go, as well as an overhaul of the roster. This could mean a cut or two or trading the top stars on the team. The Bears will have little wiggle room with their funds, considering the loss of revenue will mean a drastic hit to the league salary cap. Some tough decisions await them.