How much salary cap space do the Bears have in 2023?

The Chicago Bears experienced some tough sledding last season, finishing 3-14. That was their worst record since 2016, and this came with an all-new leadership team in place, including head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles.

Despite their record, there was one big silver lining for the Bears in 2022, and that was the development of quarterback Justin Fields. On the ground, the second-year signal caller posted 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on 160 rushing attempts. That gave him an astonishing 7.1 yards per carry. His numbers in the passing game weren’t so impressive, with less than 2,300 yards through the air. That wasn’t all his fault as Chicago’s offense was seriously bereft of quality pass-catchers.

What really burned the Bears last year was a defense that had trouble stopping anyone. Chicago had the worst defense in the league, giving up an average of 27.2 points per game.

Expect the defense to get a lot of attention during the offseason, as well as bringing in more talent to help Fields progress in his career. The Bears ended up with the first-overall pick, and they could easily deal that to quarterback-needy teams to shift their rebuilding process into high gear. They’re also helped by the fact that they don’t have many burdensome contracts counting against their cap.

Right now, the Bears have odds of +8000 to win the Super Bowl—only three teams are worse. But if they can successfully navigate this offseason, they could get back into the mix in a hurry.

Chicago Bears 2023 salary cap space (as of 10:30 a.m., March 19)

Over The Cap: $41,404,518
NFLPA public salary cap report: $37,254,666

The OTC numbers reflect all reported deals even if paperwork is not completely finalized with the league and/or the players’ association. The NFLPA numbers reflect all deals in which paperwork has been finalized and submitted to the players’ association.

Bears notable contracts (2023 cap hit)

WR DJ Moore — $20,165,000
S Eddie Jackson — $17,090,000
LB Tremaine Edmunds — $14,687,500
OG Cody Whitehair — $14,100,000
DL Justin Jones — $7,400,000

Bears’ notable moves impacting cap space

• Traded for WR D.J. Moore
• Cut DE Al-Quadin Muhammad to save $3.9 million
• Signed RB D’Onta Foreman to one-year, $3 million contract
• Signed OG Nate Davis to three-year, $30 million contract
• Signed EDGE DeMarcus Walker to three-year, $21 million contract
• Signed LB Tremaine Edmunds to four-year, $72 million contract
• Signed LB T.J. Edwards to three-year, $19.5 million contract