Chicago Bears: NFL salary cap hits record high ahead of 2024 season

The Chicago Bears will have the third most spending money in 2024

The NFL has officially set its 2024 salary cap at $255.4 million per team, which is up a massive $30.6 million from the 2023 season.

That increase results from the full repayment of all amounts advanced by teams and deferred by the players during the COVID pandemic, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, as well as an increase in media revenue for 2024. There will be an additional $74 million per team for player benefits, including performance-based pay and benefits for retired players.

This massive increase benefits not only all 32 NFL teams but also players at premium positions, as teams will have even more money available to sign players to lucrative long-term contracts.

With big money to spend, the Chicago Bears are primed for a strong season

The Chicago Bears will have a 2024 salary cap space of $80.39 million. This gives the front office endless opportunities in free agency. The Bears have many needs entering the 2024 season, they have the chance to address many of them.

Three or four positions immediately come to mind when thinking about what positions the Bears need to improve. Those positions are defensive line, wide receiver, an extra tight end and an offensive line piece such as a center.

Getting a second weapon for the defensive line to pair with Montez sweat has been a popular talking point on Bears social media this offseason. The Sweat trade has tremendous impact on the Bears season, completely turning the defense around.

Another dominant edge rusher like Danielle Hunter paired with Montez Sweat could be a lethal combo. Or the Bears could go after a defensive tackle to help shore up the middle of the defensive line.

Then there is the receiver position. The Chicago Bears receiving load was largely on the shoulders of DJ Moore in 2023. Investment definitely needs to be made out wide if the Bears want to compete in the NFC North. It is likely the team will target a receiver in the NFL draft.

The 2024 NFL draft is one of the deepest classes as far as receiving talent goes. Marvin Harrison Jr, Rome Odunze, and Malik Nabers are a few of the best rookie receivers available. The Bears will have their pick of the bunch with either the first or ninth overall pick.

There are receivers entering free agency that could be good pickups for the Bears. Michael Pittman and Mike Evans are a few of the potential free agent additions.

On to the tight end position. The Chicago Bears already boast a top 10 tight end in the NFL in Cole Kmet. In the last two seasons Kmet emerged as one of the best receiving tight ends in football. His blocking abilities also saw drastic improvement.

With the arrival of Shane Waldron, the Bears will also likely invest in another dual threat tight end. This is because Waldron likes heavy offensive sets like 12 or 13 personnel. which requires two tight ends who can both be a threat blocking or catching passes.

Last but certainly not least is offensive line, primarily center. The Chicago Bears are set up pretty well on the offensive line. Darnell Wright and Teven Jenkins have both proved to be strong foundations. They are great at eliminating opposing pass rushers and are able of dominating as run blockers.

One of the Bears big problems in 2023 was the center position. Cody Whitehair struggled immensely in 2023, having issues accurately snapping the ball in multiple games. Lucas Patrick also struggled at times snapping the ball. The Bears need to target a certified starting center in either free agency or the draft. There are good options in both places, but investing in a rookie center might be more value for the teams dollar in the long run.

Final thoughts

There are other positions the Bears could look to invest in as well. But all of the needs listed above could reasonably be met with the Bears cap space. The Chicago Bears should easily be able to re-sign important players like Jaylon Johnson, and address key needs in free agency. This extra cap space will also come in handy if the Bears use both their first round picks to draft players.

The Chicago Bears are in the perfect position to make a huge jump in the right direction. From their draft capital to the major salary cap money they have at their disposal. The Bears future is looking bright.