The Chicago Bears are on the cusp of making the playoffs for the first time in five years. That has been almost their sole focus for months. However, organizations must keep one eye on the future and the Bears have some tough decisions ahead of them in 2026. Due to their current pay structure, GM Ryan Poles only has $2.8 million in salary cap space. While he has ways to create more, this underscores a difficult truth. There is a strong likelihood the Bears will have to let one of their more prominent free agents walk next spring.
Nahshon Wright is probably one of them. The cornerback has been terrific this season with five interceptions, but the Bears have already paid two guys at that position. They can’t afford a third. Another dilemma for them is safety. Both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker are free agents as well. Keeping both feels unlikely, leaving the Bears with a difficult choice. Do they keep the older Byard, who is a great leader and their best ballhawk, or do they retain the younger, more versatile Brisker, who’s injury-prone? Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune dropped some pretty clear hints about where it’s heading.
No doubt this won’t be an easy decision.
It sure looks like Byard has earned a contract extension based on his production, which is first and foremost, and the intangibles he brings to the locker room. Generally teams shy away from paying big money to two safeties. That’s not always the case, but it’s a position where teams will look to save a little money. If the Bears reward Byard with a new contract, I think it’s likelier they would look to pair him with a draft pick or another cheaper option. Looking ahead, it would make sense to get a good, young safety in the pipeline again.
Brisker’s concussion history — one in each of his first three seasons — will work against him as a free agent. Fortunately he has been healthy this season, but he missed 12 games in 2024 and that’s a bit of a red flag. Maybe the Bears value Brisker and will consider bringing him back at their price, but they’ll have to determine how they want to allocate their resources and then get a feel for what’s available in free agency and the draft.
The Chicago Bears will likely set a price ceiling with Brisker.
If he deems it too cheap and believes he’s worth more, the safety will hit the open market. That has nothing to do with the team not valuing him enough. It is a simple case of economics. They can’t risk the long-term health of their payroll for a player who, while good, is not a star. That is the unfortunate reality. Brisker is a terrific locker room guy, a fiery presence on the field, and does everything well. Sadly, replacing guys like him is easier than other positions. Byard may not have seasons like this one again, but he will be relatively cheaper to retain, and the Chicago Bears can go hunting for safety help in the draft.
After all, Poles has demonstrated a sharp eye for defensive backs in his career as a GM. He found Brisker after all. There is no reason to think he can identify good players at that position again. That salary cap money will likely be allocated towards an extension for right tackle Darnell Wright and retaining some of their defensive depth. Don’t expect the Bears to be aggressive in free agency this offseason. It will be all about maintaining the status quo as much as possible while improving through the draft.
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