Bears roll over almost $2M in unused cap space for 2022
The Chicago Bears are in the middle of their search for a new head coach and general manager. And once they land those new hires, there’s a busy offseason ahead.
After the salary cap decreased from $198.2 million in 2020 to $182.5 million in 2021 due to the COVID-19 impact, the cap is expected to rise to around $208.2 million in 2022.
Where things currently stand, the Bears are expected to have roughly $40 million in cap space, which is the 12th most in the NFL. But that number will likely increase at season’s end.
According to Field Yates, the Bears are slated to have nearly $2 million in unused cap space roll over to the 2022 season. That would bring their current cap space to around $42 million.
NFL teams recently declared unused 2021 cap space rollover amounts (below).
After the playoffs, the NFL will audit incentives, bonuses, etc by team. That figure will be added/subtracted to the number below.
The sum + the 2022 Salary Cap = each team's 2022 adjusted cap number. pic.twitter.com/BMThnJyLpa
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 17, 2022
The Bears are expected to return roughly 15 starters for the 2022 season, which means there are plenty of roster holes to fill in free agency and the NFL draft. That, on top of addressing some big roster needs on the offensive line and secondary.
For the new GM, tackling the salary cap and addressing roster needs with limited draft capital (five picks) could mean a big free agency. And there are some potential contract extensions that would make sense.
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These 37 Bears are under contract for 2022 season
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