Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is about to undergo a franchise-altering 2024 offseason. Armed with the draft's number-one overall pick and with Justin Fields' career in the Windy City at a crossroads, the path Poles opts for is going to affect the Bears for years to come.
Whether Fields or Caleb Williams is taking snaps under center when the Bears' 2024 season kicks off (it seems highly unlikely it will be anyone besides those two, but stranger things have happened), the rest of the roster is going to look different from this past regular season.
The Bears won seven games, earning victories in three of their five final games. But with a couple of high-priced veterans seeing their performances decline, and a high draft pick returning little value, Poles has several options to add some salary cap space and open up roster spots for players favored by new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron or new defensive coordinator Eric Washington.
So who might get their walking papers before the Bears begin training camp this summer? Let's run through three likely cut candidates for Chicago.
S Eddie Jackson
Sorry Bears fans, this one may hurt.
Jackson is a drafted-and-developed star and a fan favorite in Chicago. He's made two Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro team during his seven seasons with the team.
This decision is less about Jackson's play and more about his cap hit.
His $18.14 million figure for 2024 is too much to pay, especially with Jaquan Brisker developing nicely for Chicago's secondary. Poles can release Jackson post-June 1 and incur just a $3.9 million dead cap charge.
Unless Jackson agrees to a hefty pay cut during the offseason, he seems likely to be cut loose by the only NFL team he has ever known.
OL Cody Whitehair
Drafted one year before Jackson, Whitehair is another long-tenured Bears veteran who might have played his last game with the team. Again, his contract will be a significant factor in the team's decision.
Designating Whitehair as a post-June 1 cut would save Poles about $10 million in cap space.
While Whitehair played across the offensive line in 2023, that can be viewed as a positive or a negative. That versatility could be a valuable trait for an offensive lineman. But the fact that Whitehair couldn't remain in the starting lineup probably tells the bigger story.
And it is highly unlikely Poles wants to keep Whitehair on the roster with his $13.25 million cap hit, which would rank as the fifth highest on the team. That much money for a non-starter? That's a non-starter.
It's been eight seasons and 118 games started for the Bears, but Whitehair's tenure in Chicago is likely coming to an end soon.
WR Velus Jones Jr.
Jackson and Whitehair both fall into a familiar category of cut candidates, as high-priced veterans.
Jones' has a tenuous grip on a roster spot for entirely different reasons. He simply has not produced in Chicago.
Taken in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft after six seasons of college football, Jones has not made his mark on offense, especially relative to his draft status.
Through two seasons, Jones has 11 receptions for 127 yards. For reference, Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill had six games in 2023 alone with more than 127 receiving yards.
Jones has some value on special teams, but he's even struggled to field punts, so he's no game-changer in that regard either.
By the time the 2024 season begins, Jones will be 27 years old. His time as a developmental project just might be over if the Bears think they can add a more productive wide receiver for whoever is running Waldron's offense next season.
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