While Mitchell Trubisky’s future in a Chicago Bears uniform remains in limbo, there are several players on the roster who are worthy of a contract extension. Unfortunately, none are likely to occur until after the 2020 season due to salary cap restrictions and/or limitations set in the NFL collective bargaining agreement.
Per Spotrac, the Bears have approximately $10 million in available cap space, which will be reserved for signing the draft class and adding one or two more depth pieces. After the upcoming season, the Bears figure to have more financial flexibility, given they are projected to have $185 million on the books.
Add to that that the 2021 salary cap could reportedly increase as high as $240 million, and general manager Ryan Pace is in a prime position to hand out some well-deserved extensions.
Let’s take a look at three players that could be due for an extension following the 2020 season.
Allen Robinson
Robinson is the most obvious answer here. Signed to a three-year, $42 million deal as part of the 2018 offseason that overhauled the wide receiver position, he’s been an integral piece of the offense.
His first season in the Windy City was not spectacular by any means –hauling in 55 receptions for 754 yards — but his 10 catches in the Wild Card game was a foreshadowing of his 2019 season.
Last year, Robinson caught nearly 100 balls for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. He recorded just a 4.5 percent drop rate and had 272 yards after contact. And at 26 years of age, a four-year deal seems appropriate for Robinson.
James Daniels
Taken with the 39th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Daniels appeared in all 16 games, including 10 starts at left guard as a rookie. After being moved to center, he switched back to left guard in Week 10.
Daniels is an extremely disciplined player, committing just two holding penalties in 16 games. PFF gave him a grade of 69.9 last year and indicated that Daniels was responsible for only one sack.
Under the current CBA, Daniels is prohibited from being extended until after his third season, so a long-term extension heading into the final year of his rookie deal appears to make sense.
Roy Robertson-Harris
From undrafted to underrated, Robertson-Harris successfully made the switch from hybrid outside linebacker at UTEP to defensive end in the NFL. He earned a sizable bump in salary heading into the upcoming season.
RRH has seen a reverse split in his defense-to-special teams snap counts, playing in over half of the defensive snaps last year. In 2019, he tallied 30 total tackles — including three tackles for loss — to go along with 10 quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks.
Akiem Hicks is signed through the 2021 season, but he played in just five games after being lost due to an elbow injury. He’s also 30 years old. Look for the 26-year-old Robertson-Harris to become a starter along the defensive line should the Bears let Hicks walk after his contract expires.
