The Chicago Bears are poised to be contenders in seasons to come, but they'll need to make a big splash at some point.
With first-overall pick Caleb Williams in his rookie, the Bears have a limited window to build a contender while their quarterback is cost-controlled. Contracts have ballooned for signal-callers in recent years, and the Dallas Cowboys are the most recent example.
On Sunday, the Cowboys signed their longtime QB Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240 million extension, making him the highest-paid player in National Football League history on an annual salary basis.
While the Cowboys are happy to have their most important position secured for the near future, there are bound to be cap casualties. Quality players the Cowboys won't be able to afford will be on the move, and the Bears could be a prime destination.
On Sunday, FanSided's Lior Lampert predicted that the Cowboys will be unable to retain four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence as a result of Prescott's extension.
"Retaining Lawrence and his bookend pass rusher (Micah Parsons) will ultimately be challenging for the Cowboys," Lampert said. "If he can put up another impressive campaign, the 32-year-old may seek out what could be his final big payday. The longtime Dallas defensive end's market may exceed the franchise's price tags."
Lawrence, 32, is in the final year of his current Cowboys contract and is making $10 million. After a career resurgence in the past two seasons, both of which resulted in Pro Bowl selections, Lawrence is likely to fetch another eight-figure price tag in 2025.
Though he is no longer a sack specialist like he was in the late 2010s, Lawrence is still an extremely effective all-around lineman. He compiled an impressive 72 total points saved from 2022-2023, per Sports Info Solutions.
Though Montez Sweat is stepping into the top pass-rushing role for the Bears in 2024, it still makes sense to add more firepower up front. Chicago was 31st out of 32 teams with just 30 sacks in 2023.
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