After four years of trouble, the Chicago Bears have closed down Cairo Santos for a 20-year contract extension that will keep him in Chicago until 2023.
Bears has agreed to enter into agreements with Santos for a $ 16 million five-year deal worth $ 17.5 million, but the last two years of Santos’ agreement are voidable, so it’s actually a 3-year agreement worth $ 9 million with a maximum value of $ 11 million.
But how does the extension of Santos’ contract affect the salary cap situation in Chicago until 2021?
Prior to Santos’ overtime, Bears was about $ 17 million, according to Over the Cap. After that, Chicago placed the franchise label on receiver Allen Robinson, which left him with a $ 17.9 million hit. Santos ‘maximum limit in 2021 will be $ 1.575 million, which means that Santos’ extension puts the Bears $ 19.2 million over the ceiling before the new league year.
The NFL has agreed on a $ 182.5 million salary cap for 2021, leaving the Bears with a $ 190 million cap paid after the previous year. Which will still make things difficult for CEO Ryan Pace, with Chicago over $ 20 million over the limit.
Other things we can expect in the coming days to help with the ceiling situation are the contract restructurings, in which players like safety Eddie Jackson and left guard Cody Whitehair make the most sense. With corner Buster Skrine and right-back Bobby Massie already losing their heads, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Chicago sharing more players before March 17, including tight-end Jimmy Graham, left-back Charles Leno Jr. and receiver Anthony Miller.