How Kam Curl’s Contract Impacts Bears’ Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker

It's been well-documented how much turnover the Bears will undergo this offseason. The 2026 Chicago Bears are going to look much different than the 2025 squad.

DJ Moore and Drew Dalman are already gone on the offensive side of the ball. So is Tremaine Edmunds on defense. They also have a few more key free agents set to hit the open market, including Nahshon Wright and all five of the safeties on the roster from last season.

It was previously believed that the safety position, in particular, would have a major facelift. The Bears had their back against the wall when it came to their available cap space before the recent departures opened up roughly $44 million in cap space.

With roughly $32 million at their disposal (before any restructures), they now have enough money to bring back one or both of their starting safeties if they want to do so.

The release of LB Tremaine Edmunds leaves behind $2.4M of dead cap to the #Bears, clearing $15M of space.

Chicago now boasts an estimated $32M of Top 51 cap space heading toward the league year.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 6, 2026

However, with how many quality safeties set to hit the open market this offseason, and the fact that the 2026 NFL Draft features a wealth of talent on the back end, it might be in the Bears' best interest to be patient on that front.

We had some early movement on the safety market today, as Rams safety Kam Curl put pen to paper on a three-year, $36 million deal that will keep him in LA through the 2028 NFL season. His deal is tied for 15th among safeties in average annual value (AAV).

Rams and S Kam Curl reached agreement on a three-year, $36 million deal, as NFL Network reported. pic.twitter.com/irUWNC3zVS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026

Honestly, that being the market-setting contract is not a bad situation for the Bears if they want to resign Brisker and/or Byard. It also isn't bad if they want to find a starter elsewhere in the free agency pool.

Curl has developed into a really impactful and versatile player. While so many safeties have to play a well-defined role in their respective defense, he has virtually no weaknesses.

Kam Curl was the only safety in the NFL to earn at least an 80 PFF grade in run defense, tackling, and coverage
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) August 3, 2023

Now, with that said, he's not the only really good safety on the open market this offseason. Chiefs safety Bryan Cook and Seahawks ball-hawk Coby Bryant both could sign deals that exceed Curl's $12 million AAV. However, they're really the only two players on the market who challenge that figure.

Brisker is great against the run but struggles mightily in coverage. His concussion history and injury concerns also might remove him from consideration for some teams. He'll definitely still have a healthy market, but it would be somewhat surprising to see him sign for the same amount that Curl did.

I think Brisker will end up making $10 or $11 million AAV when it's all said and done. If he can stay healthy, that'll be a relative bargain for how much value he provides as a run defender.

Meanwhile, the main concerns surrounding Byard are more centered on his age. He will be 33 years old when the 2026 NFL season rolls around, and teams generally don't throw a lot of money at players in his age range.

The key difference between Byard and most other 33-year-old safeties is that he is coming off a season in which he led the league with seven interceptions. He's clearly still got something left in the tank, and teams aren't going to outright ignore him solely based on his age.

I admittedly think Curl signing for $12 million per year has less of an effect on Byard (he's already an established player who has already cashed in a few times, whereas Brisker is coming off his rookie contract), but I still think it sets the bar that he will be hard-pressed to reach. I previously thought Byard's next deal would land somewhere around $10-11 million per year, and I now think it'll probably be around $9-10 million per year.

Byard would still be the most logical re-sign candidate for Chicago. He is a highly respected veteran in the locker room and a great scheme fit for Dennis Allen's defense.