Akiem Hicks rebounded from a lost season in 2019 due to injury and reclaimed his spot as one of the leaders of the Bears’ defense on and off the field, but he could be a candidate to be moved if the Bears shed salary.
All offseason, we heard about how teams would have to make tough decisions to cut or trade key players due to 2021’s reduced salary cap. However, it appears the Bears have managed to get under the cap by Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline without taking any incredibly drastic measures.
Also spared was tight end Jimmy Graham, who only has one year left on his deal and carries a $10 million cap hit, according to Spotrac.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Bears restructured the contracts of Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair earlier this month, which helped free up a reported $23 million this year. But that doesn’t mean the Bears escaped without making any cuts. They released starting nickelback Buster Skrine, and reports said that they declined an option on starting right tackle Bobby Massie.
This also doesn’t mean a trade, cut or even an extension can't come down the line later on. Managing the salary cap is a fluid situation, so any new free agent signings will likely come with a corresponding move. But for now, it looks like the Bears are able to get under the cap with fewer transactions than expected.
RELATED: Report: Kyle Long signs one-year deal with Chiefs
Click here to subscribe to the Under Center Podcast for free.
NFL
