Chicago Bears: 6 Probable salary-cap cuts if team rebuilds in 2021

Could Jimmy Graham be a one-year-wonder for the Chicago Bears?

Alright, alright, maybe wonder is too strong of a word here. That said, I blame this offense more than I blame Jimmy Graham. Graham has scored five of the Chicago Bears 16 touchdowns. I know, 16 touchdowns total is disgusting, but Graham having five at this point in the year is a solid number. The downside here is Graham only has 35 catches for 305 yards, but again I blame the offense for this more than Graham.

The team is not even utilizing the younger, probably better (at least currently) version of Graham in Cole Kmet property. However, what’s crazy is how bad this tight end group was in 2019. Graham has already far surpassed what the tight end group did for the entire season in 2019 as not a single one had over 100 yards and combined they had only two touchdowns. Graham was a good signing this year no matter how fans feel about his contract.

The problem is, I could easily see Graham becoming a cap casualty next year. This holds entirely true if there is a new regime in place. Graham will be owed $10 million in 2021, but will only cost the Chicago Bears $3 million if they cut him. Will that $7 million dollars in cap savings entice Ryan Pace or a new general manager more than Graham’s production?