The Chicago Bears are in a great position heading into a pivotal 2023 offseason, where they have the first overall pick in the NFL draft and roughly $100 million in salary cap space. That should give general manager plenty of resources to work with as he overhauls the roster this offseason.
Chicago has the most salary cap space in the NFL, by a wide margin, which gives them in a position to make some big moves when free agency kicks off next month. But they do have a good amount of dead cap space for the 2023 season.
According to Over The Cap, the Bears currently have $21.97 million in dead money for the 2023 season, which is the fourth most in the NFL. That should increase once Al-Quadin Muhammad’s release is official.
Here is a look at the six players who are responsible for the team’s dead money. (All figures are from Over The Cap).
DE Robert Quinn
2023 dead money: $13.23 million
The Bears signed Quinn to a massive five-year deal worth $70 million with $30 million guaranteed in March 2020. After a disappointing first year, Quinn broke the franchise single-season sack record in 2021. Last season, Quinn was traded to the Eagles for a fourth-round draft pick ahead of the trade deadline, which accounted for his $13.23 million dead cap hit.
LB Danny Trevathan
2023 dead money: $3.78 million
The Bears signed Trevathan back in 2016, and he was a key member of their defense and earned a second contract from former GM Ryan Pace, a three-year deal worth $21.75 million with $13.63 million guaranteed. One of Poles’ first moves as GM was parting ways with aging veterans and expensive contracts, including Trevathan, who struggled both with injuries and on-field performance.
DE Mario Edwards Jr.
2023 dead money: $2.17 million
After a solid 2020 season with the Bears, Edwards signed a three-year extension worth $11.66 million with $5.5 million guaranteed in 2021. Edwards played out the first year of his deal before Poles took over as GM, and Edwards was part of several roster cuts to veterans that didn’t factor into the future.
RB Tarik Cohen
2023 dead money: $1.75 million
The Bears drafted Cohen in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft, and he proved to be valuable on offense and special teams. In 2020, Cohen signed a three-year extension worth $17.25 million with $9.53 million guaranteed. But Cohen suffered a torn ACL shortly after, and the following offseason he was released with an injury designation as he wasn’t able to pass a physical.
EDGE Jeremiah Attaochu
2023 dead money: $800,000
The Bears signed Attaochu to a two-year deal worth $5.55 million with $2.83 million guaranteed back in 2021. He appeared in just five games — totaling two tackles — before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Attaochu was among the cap casualties when Poles arrived in Chicago.
DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
2023 dead money: $500,000
Muhammad is technically still on the books for Chicago. But once his release is official, he will account for $500,000 for the 2023 season. Last offseason, Muhammad signed a two-year deal worth $8 million with $3.3 million guaranteed.
OL Zachary Thomas
2023 dead money: $143,739
Thomas was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft, signing a four-year deal worth $3.85 million with $191,652 guaranteed. But he was the only draft pick not to make the 53-man roster and was re-signed to the practice squad. The Rams later signed Thomas off the Bears practice squad.
