What do Chicago Bears fans do after watching a heartbreaking playoff loss? Well, probably a variety of things, to be honest. But, in reality, the majority of the fan base is now looking ahead to the offseason.
The Bears are currently looking at being $4.3 million over the salary cap as the offseason begins. However, that number isn't even close to where they'll end up. Taking additional moves such as player cuts and restructures into consideration, Chicago could be in a completely different spot in a matter of just a handful of moves.
Now, they could go ahead and cut ties with some current players under contract. But another route would be to restructure some contracts, and Ryan Poles has the chance to do so with a select few names.
In total, the Bears could open up a total of $41 million by making three notable contract restructures: DJ Moore, Joe Thuney, and Grady Jarrett.
Player | $ freed up w/ restructure | w/ added void year(s) |
|---|---|---|
DJ Moore, WR | $17.4 million | $18.5 million |
Joe Thuney, OL | $7.3 million | $11.7 million |
Grady Jarrett, DL | $6.9 million | $10.8 million |
Bears could save a lot of money in the offseason with a few moves
Let's start with Moore, who is an interesting case, coming off the miscommunication that led to a game-sealing interception against the Rams. Prior to that blunder, he had been an invaluable part of the offense for weeks.
It's clear that the Bears are best suited to keep Moore alongside Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. At one point, it might have made sense to look at trading him, but watching his impact over the course of the latter half of the season lit that idea on fire, and it shouldn't even be a thought.
Adding a void year to his restructure would open up nearly $19 million -- and that's a huge number for a team currently over the cap.
As for Joe Thuney, a simple restructure and the addition of void years make a ton of sense. He's not going anywhere, and the Bears' window appears to be right now, considering Caleb Williams is on a rookie deal, and this team just went to the Divisional Round.
Now, Jarrett is a tough one. The reality is, he's not going anywhere. The Bears can't get out of his contract until 2027, so they're likely stuck with that deal. Jarrett was nowhere near worth the $43.5 million contract he signed last offseason, but if Chicago adds more beef up front by way of the draft, he'll be valuable to have in rotation.
At this stage, it makes sense to implement all three restructures. Void years can be scary because the Bears will still be on the hook for some cash even if these players are no longer in Chicago. But, once more, the window to win a Super Bowl just opened up.
Read more: Ryan Poles may have cracked the door open on a DJ Moore trade
These are the kinds of moves you make if you are Poles.