Analyzing the financial impact of the Chicago Bears draft class

The Chicago Bears can balance out the secondary with their second-rounders

Eddie Jackson is on the books this season with a $15 million dollar cap hit. His contract technically runs through the 2024 season. If he proves himself to Matt Eberflus this season, it’s likely that he sticks around beyond 2022. If he falters, well, he’s probably going to become a salary cap casualty that costs the Bears even more in dead cap next year. His cap hit in 2023 is just over $17 million and his cap hit in 2024 is just over $18 million.

Jaylon Johnson will be playing in the final year of his rookie contract next year. If all goes as well as I think it will, he is also going to need to be paid big money within two years. What helps though is that the Chicago Bears used their two second-round picks to add some serious talent to the secondary. Kyler Gordon is projected to earn $1.5 million this year, while Jaquan Brisker is slotted to earn $1.4 million. Both players will earn an average of less than $3 million per year over the next four years.

What is great about having these two players locked up for four years is that if they pan out as I believe they will, then it helps soften the blow in the secondary as Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson earn bigger money. It allows the team to transition away from Jackson in the next year or two also.