Biggest Offseason Contract Decisions for Bears

The Chicago Bears decided to keep both head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace for the 2021 season.

"I was impressed with both of them this past season, especially during the six-game losing streak," team chairman George McCaskey said in a statement to fans.

While some fans may not be particularly thrilled to see Nagy and Pace back for another run, the duo has produced two playoff berths in three seasons. They'll be looking for a third in 2021, but getting one will require some tricky offseason maneuvering.

Chicago is projected to be more than $9 million over the salary cap—according to Spotrac—and it will have to navigate some tricky contract situations. This will largely be Pace's challenge, though, Nagy will also likely have a say.

So, what are the toughest contract decisions lying ahead for Chicago's front-office duo? Let's take a look.

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first. The Bears have a tough decision looming with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The 2017 first-round pick had his fifth-year option declined by Chicago, and now he's scheduled to hit the open market.

While Trubisky played well enough down the stretch to get the Bears into the postseason, his on-field performances rarely screamed "franchise quarterback."

The problem is that the Bears aren't loaded with cap room—in fact, they're going to have to create space—so signing an alternative in free agency may not be a realistic option. As Pro Football Talk's Chris Simms pointed out, the market may make Trubisky the cheapest option.

"Nobody's going to be breaking down doors to say, 'We need to sign Mitchell Trubisky to a $30 million a year deal,'" Simms told NBC Sports Chicago.

The Bears will have to determine if they want Trubisky back and at what price. In the back of his mind, Pace must also gauge whether taking Trubisky's heir with the 20th pick in the draft is a reasonable course of action.

If the Bears don't believe drafting a franchise quarterback is feasible and remain cap-strapped, Trubisky may have to come back.

While the Bears have to decide whether they want Trubisky under center in 2021, there should be little debating the desire for Allen Robinson II. Robinson is a legitimate No. 1 wideout and one who Chicago should want back if a return is at all possible.

The fact that Robinson dealt with the inconsistent play of Trubisky and Nick Foles and still racked up 102 catches, 1,250 yards and six touchdowns is quite remarkable.

Unfortunately, trying to work out a long-term deal will be difficult. It'll be made all the more difficult by the likelihood that Robinson won't be eager to sign a team-friendly contract.

"I personally feel like we had an opportunity to be able to get something done over the past 365 days," Robinson said, per JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago.

Obviously, the Bears didn't get an extension done with Robinson, which is why he's set to hit the open market. Chicago's best shot at keeping Robinson for another season may reside in the use of the franchise tag. However, that option is off the table in the Bears' current cap situation.

As is the case with Trubisky, the Bears may be forced to examine potential replacements in the draft. If Chicago believes it can land the next Justin Jefferson or DK Metcalf, then it may make sense to allow Robinson to leave.

Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is not a pending free agent. He's a defensive centerpiece for Chicago and arguably one of the team's most underrated players—he's been to just one Pro Bowl in nine seasons. However, Chicago still has a tough decision to make here.

From purely a production standpoint, there's no reason the Bears should want to move on from Hicks. He started 15 games in 2020 and amassed 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. However, contract decisions aren't made in an on-field vacuum, and a couple of other factors are in place.

For one, Hicks is 31 years old and entering the final year of his contract. The Bears may not view him as a long-term piece of the future. Secondly, Hicks is due to carry a cap hit of $12 million and has just $1.5 million in dead money remaining on his deal.

This means that if Chicago was to release or trade Hicks, it could save more than $10 million in valuable cap space. As we've already mentioned, the Bears need to create cap room entering the offseason.

Alternatively, the Bears could approach Hicks with an extension offer that pushes some of those cap dollars into future years.

Given Hicks' age, it may be a short-term extension that creates cap issues down the road. However, this may be the best way for Pace to free up some cap space now while still keeping a valuable member of the defense in the fold. The most difficult piece of this potential route may be getting Hicks to buy into the idea.

*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.