One Bears Contract That Will Age Poorly in 2026, And One That's Still a Bargain

This $48 million deal is a millstone around Chicago's neck, but another player may just even it out.

Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat takes the field before a game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles hit a homerun with his 2025 NFL draft class, but his free agency acquisitions from that year are a different story. Olamide Zaccheaus had a serious issue with drops in his one season with the Bears, while Grady Jarrett played hurt through most of the year. Drew Dalman was a Pro Bowl center for Chicago, but he retired from the NFL after just one season with the Bears.

However, there's one free agency signing that will be a big problem for the Bears in 2026, thanks to his substantial cap hit: Dayo Odeyingbo.

The Bears have struggled to add good pass rushers because of bad contracts already signed

Chicago Bears DE Dayo Odeyingbo defends against Baltimore Ravens QB Tyler Huntley. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Dayo Odeyingbo's $48 million deal with the Bears stands out like a sore thumb on their ledger. The signing was initially met with skepticism, and Odeyingbo's disastrous 2025 campaign proved the nay-sayers right. He played in just eight games before an Achilles injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, and in that time, he registered just one sack and 10 pressures. His 53.5 PFF grade ranked 102nd out of 115 defensive ends.

Unfortunately for the Bears, Odeyingbo's contract gave them no outs in 2026. He's owed $15.5 million in guaranteed salary this season and cutting him would have left Chicago with $20 million in dead money, and that's the best-case scenario. This contract, combined with a couple others, precluded Chicago from making meaningful additions this offseason to what was one of the NFL's worst pass-rush units.

And here's the rotten cherry on top: Odeyingbo may be even worse in 2026 than he was last year thanks to his Achilles injury. That's an exceptionally difficult injury from which to recover, and even if the Bears' latest injury updates from mandatory minicamp were a positive sign for Odeyingbo's recovery, we still have yet to see whether he can handle full-contact practices with pads, let alone live games.

Montez Sweat's contract continues to impress

Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat hits Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

There's one defensive contract, however, that continues to age well for the Bears. After trading a second-round pick for Montez Sweat at the 2023 NFL trade deadline, the Bears immediately signed him to a four-year, $98 million contract extension. He rewarded the team with a Pro Bowl season that year before a regression in 2024, though that had more to do with the team's overall implosion in the final year of Matt Eberflus' regime.

In 2025, Sweat quietly put together a great season for the Bears. He posted 11 sacks and 54 total pressures while earning a solid 71.2 PFF grade. That grade only ranked 42nd out of 115 defensive ends, but his 54 pressures put him in the Top 20. Remember, he did all this while being the only starter-caliber defensive end on the roster for much of the season.

What makes Sweat's bounce-back season last year so important for the Bears is that he's playing on a discounted contract. His $24.5 million average annual value ranks behind 11 other edge defender contracts. Even Pittsburgh's Nick Herbig earns more than Sweat. At a time when the Bears are desperately trying to cobble together value from small, one-year signings, Sweat's contract stands out as a bargain.

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