3 Chicago Bears Contracts That Must Be Restructured ASAP

The Chicago Bears' offseason business is off to a mixed start.

On one hand, the Bears were successfully able to reinforce their defense, which had consistently been both a strength and a hindrance for the team as they pushed for their NFC Divisional Round appearance.

On the other hand, they moved on from key offensive contributors like wide receiver D.J. Moore, increasing the pressure on the Bears' front office to pull off the perfect offseason.

That goal will be further hindered by the team's cap situation; the team currently sits on $250,000 in cap space and has almost $325 million in contract commitments.

Given the Bears need cap space to sign their draft class and that several veterans remain available, contract restructurings are a must before the start of the 2026 season.

Here are three players who could be up for a restructuring before the 2026 season kicks off.

Cole Kmet

Since joining the Bears in 2020, Kmet has acted as a strong option for the team's tight end room. Through his six seasons with the team, Kmet has recorded just shy of 3,000 receiving yards in addition to 21 touchdowns. He also averages just over 10 yards per game.

His cap hit for 2026 is valued at $11.6 million; $8.9 million of that amount consists of his base salary. The proration - which spreads a signing bonus over the duration of a contract - is set at $1.6 million.

In general, any potential contract restructuring could see the Bears look to create room to accommodate a potential Dexter Lawrence trade. His cap hit for 2026 is set at almost $27 million total, with $18.5 million of that value dedicated to his base salary.

While the Bears could move up to $2 million from Kmet's base salary, a trade would clear almost half of the cap space required to fit Lawrence. Releasing him would also clear a similar amount; should the Bears opt to release him after June 1, the team would clear $9 million in cap space, around a third of Lawrence's 2026 value.

Montez Sweat

Since being traded to the Bears, Sweat has recorded 110 tackles and 21.5 sacks. In 2025, he put together another strong season in the sack department, recording 10 sacks.

In terms of the contract situation, that is one the Bears are going to have to work on. His cap hit for the 2026 season is around $25 million, but 80% of that value is dedicated to his base salary. That number is only going to go down slightly in 2027, with the Bears paying him almost $19 million in base salary.

The Bears should look to convert a quarter of his base salary for 2026 into bonuses, which would free up $5 million in cap space alone. The same must be done for the 2027 season, which would add around the same amount to their cap space for that year.

Jaylon Johnson

Unlike restructure candidates like Kmet, Johnson is all but set to remain a Bear for the 2026 season. His 2025 season may have been plagued by a grion injury, but all signs point to him being healthy in 2026. In addition, BearGogglesOn hinted at the possibility of an extension being prioritized before a transaction with another team.

While the Bears could clear around $15 million in cap space by cutting Johnson, that is the same amount of money as his base salary under his current contract. It's also worth noting that $5 million of his current contract is set to be paid in the form of bonuses; considering Johnson's injury history, the Bears could move part of his base salary in the form of a starts-based bonus. This bonus could see the Bears dedicate around $1 million towards a bonus that requires Johnson to start at least eight games in 2026. Johnson played in seven games in 2025, making such a bonus attainable.

Considering that Johnson did perform well in 2024, acting as a reliable option in both man-to-man coverage and in defending the run, it would be preferable for the Bears to restructure his contract for 2026 and work towards an extension that represents the situation as a whole.