ESPN’s Dan Graziano broke the news on Wednesday that the NFL’s salary cap will once again make a tremendous jump. In 2025, teams will have between $277.5 million and $281.5 million to work with, which is higher than even the most generous expectations had been.
This means that the Chicago Bears will have $69 million of cap space, sixth most in the league, according to Over The Cap. And that’s not counting the space they could free up by moving on from disappointing veteran acquisitions like Gerald Everett.
This is terrific news for GM Ryan Poles because this is the offseason where he needs to spend more than he ever has before. After drafting the highest rated quarterback and hiring the most respected head coach in back-to-back seasons, the expectations for Chicago will be to win now. Poles can’t afford to be stingy in 2025. He must open that checkbook and pay whatever it takes to bring in some game-changers.
With that in mind, here are three players that should be front and center on Poles’ radar.
1. Drew Dalman – Center
While Coleman Shelton was not terrible as the Bears’ primary starting Center in 2024, they could do a lot better. Atlanta’s Dalman finished 2024 as Pro Football Focus’ fourth highest-graded Center and is still just 26 years old. And while he’s better in the run game, that doesn’t mean he’s shoddy in pass protection.
Dalman would be expensive for a Center, likely commanding something in the neighborhood of $10 million AAV, but that will be a drop in Chicago’s vast salary cap bucket.
2. Trey Smith – Guard
No surprises here. Trey Smith has been linked to the Bears for weeks now and, barring a new extension with Kansas City, is likely to hit the open market soon. Unlike Dalman, his contract would almost certainly reset the Guard market, ending up at no less than $22 million AAV, but his services would be worth every penny.
3. Myles Garrett – Defensive End
While this would be a controversial move among Bears fans, it just makes too much sense with the tremendous amount of cap space now available. Yes, he would cost Chicago’s 2025 first-round pick (10th overall) and likely a bit more to acquire him in a trade, but there’s not a single prospect in this draft worth as much as this future Hall of Famer.
And that contract that will likely be around $35 million AAV looks a lot less daunting now than it did before Graziano’s report.
Fielding a defensive front-four of Myles Garrett, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, and Montez Sweat would vault Chicago’s defense up into the elite tier and help Williams and the offense have that breakout season they need in 2025.
