More comprehensive financial details are coming to light as the dust of the first wave of NFL free agency signings settles. It's clear agencies dress up the numbers to make their clients' contracts look better; Chicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones is a prime example.
It was initially reported that Jones and the Bears settled on a one-year extension worth up to $10 million. However, without performance bonuses, that price tag is cut in half. The same holds true for ex-Green Bay Packers and new Carolina Panthers left tackle Rasheed Walker, whom Chicago could ostensibly have landed for a similar cost.
Like clockwork, early intel indicated that Walker and the Panthers reached a one-year pact with a "max value of $10 million." Lo and behold, most of that money is tied to incentives. The actual breakdown of their agreement (h/t KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson) suggests Carolina got a bargain on a player the Bears probably should've considered adding.
LT Rasheed Walker's contract details with Panthers show Bears may rue re-signing Braxton Jones instead
The Bears had a prime chance to kill two birds with one stone, hurting their NFC North rival while simultaneously upgrading from Jones. Walker settled for a "prove-it" deal, too, which appears to be what they were looking for. Why not make a strong pitch to the latter if they're both Band-Aid solutions?
Chicago is seemingly biding its time while 2025 second-round selection Ozzy Trapilo is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon. That's what retaining Jones would lead us to believe, at least. Nevertheless, Walker may have given the Bears better bang for their buck without being a long-term threat to the former.
Jones' 2026 base salary is notably higher than Walker's ($5 million to $4 million). How's that possible after the respective campaigns they just had? Seriously, make that make sense.
Walker was a full-time starter for the Packers this past season and finished 11th in ESPN's pass block win rate (94 percent) among offensive tackles. Meanwhile, Jones was benched because of a rough four-game stretch and wasn't even the Bears' primary Trapilo replacement.
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Worst-case scenario, Walker outperforms his current going rate and puts the Bears in a position to pick between him and Trapilo. There are worse problems than having more than one sturdy blindside protector. Either way, ensuring franchise quarterback Caleb Williams is kept upright is the No. 1 priority.