Just a few days ago, as the first week of NFL free agency was wrapping up, ESPN's Adam Schefter went on the air to give an update on one of the most shocking turn of events in league history.
Yes, it was about the Maxx Crosby saga and how some teams may still get involved to try to pry him away from the Las Vegas Raiders. When the Bears were mentioned as a destination, Schefter went on to explain how Chicago is "broke" and has no money left, leaving them out as a possible suitor.
Well, as it stands, Schefter is right. The Bears only have about $1 million in cap space per Over the Cap, but they are far from done manuevering. General manager Ryan Poles could take a few easy steps to increase that number by about $35 million.
The Chicago Bears can continue opening cap space with a few simple moves
Extend Joe Thuney: $12.1 million in cap space
Joe Thuney is 33 years old, and his current contract goes through the 2027 season, but if the Bears extended him, they'd open up a good chunk of space. Now, how that extension looked is the other issue at hand. He won't be around forever, but at the moment, it doesn't look like he's slowing down.
Should Thuney have one or two more elite seasons in him, this makes a lot of sense. Even if his play diminishes just a little bit after 2027, he'll still be starting in Chicago.
Extend Jonah Jackson: $11 million in cap space
Four years younger than Thuney, Jonah Jackson looks like a safe staple on this offensive line. His current deal also goes through the 2027 campaign, but at 29 years old, he's got a few more left in him.
We know how much better he looks in Ben Johnson's offense, as evidenced by his play in 2025 compared to the previous season in Los Angeles. Between Jackson and Thuney's extensions, the Bears save over $23 million against their cap.
Extend T.J. Edwards: $5.7 million in cap space
This one might be a little tricky, because T.J. Edwards very well may be gone after his contract runs out (also happens to be after the 2027 season). But, for cap purposes, the Bears can extend him now and save a little money.
At this point, we're not sure if Edwards will still be in Chicago two years from now, but it can't be ruled out.
Restructure Kyler Gordon: $6 million in cap space
Finally, the Bears can restructure cornerback Kyler Gordon's contract. He's a tougher one to predict, right now, because of his health. But a healthy Gordon is vital to this defense's success going forward, especially after C.J. Gardner-Johnson's departure.
Now, this isn't an extension. Gordon already received one of those a couple of years ago, which keeps him around through the 2028 season. But reworking some of the money will help Poles save just a bit more.
Read more: 4 Bears veterans Ryan Poles could put on notice in Wave 2 of free agency
And, after those four moves, Chicago now has $36 million in cap space. That's also by using the simple tools courtesy of Over the Cap, and not all of the other potential tricks we don't know about. There are always ways to manuever the cap, and Poles can do just that if need be.