NFL SALARY CAP LEAPS TO $255.4M

The NFL set its 2024 salary cap at $255.4 million Friday, the biggest leap in league history. The Bears are projected to have $80.4 million in cap space to spend this offseason, which ranks third in the NFL, according to OvertheCap.com. They’ll have $68.3 million in space to spend after accounting for payments for their draft picks. They’re slated to pick first and ninth overall in the draft.

General manager Ryan Poles has another 10 days to work out an extension with cornerback Jaylon Johnson before he’s expected to give him the franchise tag. The price of that one-year tag was calculated Friday at $19.8 million.

QB Justin Fields’ fifth-year option for 2025, which has to be picked up by May 2 by the Bears — or whomever the Bears trade him to — was calculated at $25.7 million. The Bears appear more likely to draft Caleb Williams than to keep Fields.

Even with a possible extension, the Bears figure to have plenty of money to spend in free agency next month. The team needs a starting edge rusher, safety, center and No. 2 wide receiver, in addition to extra help on both lines.

The league’s $30 million increase in the salary cap from last year is the result of a jump in media revenue and the repayment of money advanced by teams and deferred by players during the COVID pandemic.

Bears hire two

The Bears named Bryan Bing their assistant defensive line coach and Ryan Griffin an offensive assistant with focus on quarterbacks and receivers.

Bing was a diversity fellow with the Cardinals in 2022 and Colts in 2023. A four-year starter at Tulane, Griffin played quarterback for the Saints and Buccaneers. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Bucs.

Justin Hinds, the Bears’ previous assistant defensive line coach, was named the Seahawks’ defensive line coach Thursday.