The Chicago Bears made a few moves to improve their dire salary-cap situation for next season amid all of the excitement surrounding the 2026 NFL draft.
According to Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, the Bears restructured the contracts of veteran tight end Cole Kmet and starting right guard Jonah Jackson ahead of the draft to clear $10.375 million in cap space for the 2026 season and gain more flexibility.
“The Bears converted $13.5 million of Jackson’s salary into a bonus, reducing his cap number by $6.75 million to $12.75 million,” Fitzgerald wrote April 23. “His cap number in 2027 now jumps to $23.75 million. Jackson’s final year under contract is 2027, so he will likely be extended next year if he has a good season in 2026.
“Kmet had $7.65 million of salary converted to a bonus, reducing his cap number by $3.825 million to $7.775 million for the year. His cap number next season is now $15.425 million. 2027 is also Kmet’s final year under contract.”
The Bears had entered the week with less than $220,000 available in cap space for the 2026 season after handing out a few contracts during free agency, including three-year deals for safety Coby Bryant ($40 million) and linebacker Devin Bush ($30 million). By restructuring Kmet’s and Jackson’s deals, they now have close to $10.8 million in space.
Bears Could Look to Extend Cole Kmet or Jonah Jackson
The Bears have now pulled two of their most impactful restructure levers to help them free up cap space for the 2026 season, but the moves with Kmet and Jackson may also suggest that bigger moves are coming with either or both players within the next year.
Kmet and Jackson are each under contract for the next two seasons, but as Fitzgerald noted, their freshly-ballooned cap hits for 2027 could spring the Bears into negotiations with one or both of them if they remain vital parts of the roster in 2026. If the plan is to keep them on board for the 2027 season, new contracts make sense.
Jackson will turn 30 before the 2027 season, but another healthy season of high-level play could persuade the Bears to re-up on his contract for at least another two seasons. Kmet is a tougher case with the presence of 2025 top-10 pick Colston Loveland on the roster, but Ben Johnson loves his 12-personnel packages, increasing Kmet’s value.
Alternatively, the Bears could decide to release Kmet or Jackson for cap savings during the 2027 offseason if extensions are not in the cards, but the dead-cap charges may not be worth the sacrifice. The Bears would clear $10 million if they released Kmet in 2027 and take on $5.425 million in dead cap. For Jackson, the dead cap would almost double to $10.25 million with a release, while the cap savings would amount to $13.5 million.
In both cases, extensions are preferable so long as neither player falls off in 2026.
Will Bears Supplement OG or TE Spots in NFL Draft?
Kmet and Jackson are now both locks to make the 2026 roster after the Bears reworked their respective contracts — as if there was ever any doubt. Kmet’s restructure should also kill off any notion from NFL analysts that the Bears might look to trade him before or during the 2026 season; though, that likely won’t stop misguided trade suggestions.
Nevertheless, it would not be a surprise to see the Bears invest in either position over the final two days of the NFL draft, even if they hold off until the seventh round.
At tight end, the Bears have two high-quality options in Loveland and Kmet, but they did not re-sign Durham Smythe — who played 293 offensive snaps (25%) in 2025 — and could go fishing for a new No. 3 who possesses the blocking skills that Johnson desires. Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek and Houston’s Tanner Koziol stand out as Day 3 options.
Guard is a little trickier to predict. The Bears are set for starters between Jackson and All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney. They also re-signed Jordan McFadden in free agency to stack depth alongside Luke Newman (2025 sixth-rounder) and Kiran Amegadjie (2024 third-rounder), giving them enough depth to roll into offseason workouts confidently.
If the Bears want more versatility for their interior, though, they could take a chance on a guard with the ability to play center or vice versa as early as Day 2 of the 2026 draft. Kentucky’s Jagar Burton or Duke’s Brian Parker II would fit the archetype for Chicago.
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