Few teams are better positioned as far as resources go ahead of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft than the Chicago Bears.
General manager Ryan Poles once again will have a top-10 pick at his disposal, and Chicago is projected to begin this offseason with upwards of $53.9 million in effective cap space to continue building around an exciting young core that includes quarterback Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, Rome Odunze, and other weapons on offense.
But, given that the Bears–and first-year head coach Ben Johnson have an uphill climb out of the NFC North basement if they hope to overtake the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers to return to the postseason, every last-dollar of spending flexibility will be precious.
Will the Chicago Bears Use the Franchise Tag This Offseason?
Pro Football Focus put together a list of each team’s top franchise tag candidate, and, unsurprisingly, the outlet doesn’t expect the Bears to use the tag this offseason.
“Chicago and general manager Ryan Poles agreed to a three-year extension,” Mason Cameron points out for PFF. “Allowing Poles’ vision for this team to continue to take shape. Signing D.J. Moore to a four-year, $110 million extension in July took the most pressing decision off the board. While the Bears may hope to re-sign some key names like Teven Jenkins, those figures won’t touch franchise-tag levels.”
Not using the tag could be the most prudent decision that Poles makes this offseason, and is a luxury for a team that still needs to dramatically improve its offensive line and add disruptive playmakers at each level of the defense, if it is going to take a big step towards competing for the playoffs or a Super Bowl in the near future.
ESPN’s ‘Way too early’ Chicago Bears 2025 ranking revealed
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