Overview
- The Bears reworked the contracts of Joe Thuney, Dayo Odeyingbo and T.J. Edwards to create about $17 million in 2026 cap space.
- The restructures mainly converted portions of 2026 base salary into signing bonuses so the team pushes those cap charges into 2027 and raises the players' 2027 hits.
- League salary trackers updated after the moves and now list Chicago roughly $4.6 million to $5.5 million under the 2026 cap for Week 1.
- Reporters said all three players signed off on the changes and remain under contract through 2027, and the team has not announced any immediate trades or signings tied to the move.
- Teams must be under the cap at the regular-season start so this late Friday maneuver buys in-season flexibility to address edge-rush and secondary depth or to react if an external opportunity arises.