The deceiving situation surrounding Bears salary cap figures

The salary cap situation for the Bears isn't as good as what posted figures say because of the lack of individual contract breakdowns but some signings are still possible.

New Bears edge player Dayo Odeyingbo reaches out to try and stop running back James Robinson in a 2022 game with the Jaguars. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

With the Bears in a state of free agency pause, it's easy to confuse their salary cap situation as either dire or wonderful by looking at it through the wrong-colored glasses.

The truth is, unless you saw the contract breakdowns you don't know their exact Bears location in relation to the cap. Three years and $43.5 million with $28.5 million guaranteed isn't a breakdown. It's merely guidelines.

The contract terms revealed with reports of their signings and trades do not give the exact annual hit against the team's salary cap, so there is no way to know how much of the 2025 cap they've eaten up.

The accuracy between Spotrac.com and Overthecap.com with team cap figures varies depending on when those totals are observed, but at this point neither has the accurate figure posted. Spotrac.com has them listed at $37.8 million available and Overthecap at $36.8 million. Those numbers included the average annual cap hit for the two players acquired via trade but not their free agency signings.

Drew Dalman's contract and that of other free agents signed leave the Bears' cap situation unclear, at least until the new league year. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

However, Spotrac.com at this time has a clearer presentation of the situation and it helps fans better realize how those posted numbers do not indicate where the Bears actually stand.

The $37.7 million by Spotrac has the top 51 salaries actually posted but none of this includes the deductions for the 2025 cap numbers of Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, Drew Dalman, Durham Smythe, Scott Daly and Tarvarius Moore.

Even the contract of new tight end Durham Smythe is going to take down that Bears cap availability from figures posted on-line. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Considering the cap numbers for each one of those players will be over $840,000, they'll all eat away at the $37.8 million remaining.

The bigger deductions obviously will come for Odeyingbo, Dalman and Jarrett. None of those three had less than $28 million in guaranteed money attached to the signings, so even the most creatively structured contract among them will eat up a big chunk of cap space.

There is no way to know exact amount available until more information comes to light but it's safe to say the Bears' $37 million or $36 million cap figures will be much less after those guaranteed figures are prorated and posted.

It's possibly enough to allow for a few lesser signings during the bargain portion of free agency.

When the new league year hits and players actually can ink the deals on Wednesday sometime after 11 a.m., it's likely more will become known.

New Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett wraps up former Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin early in his career with the Falcons. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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