Leonard Floyd
Getty
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 26: Leonard Floyd #56 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of the game between the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears need help getting to the quarterback, but don’t have the money to make a huge investment.
According to Spotrac, after signing linebacker Jack Sanborn to a one-year, $1.2 million deal and defensive tackle James Lynch to a one-year, $1.3 million deal, Chicago is left with just $1 million in available cap space.
It’s not a lot of wiggle room to make some moves, but with some restructures the Bears can make (ex. Kyler Gordon restructured contract freeing up to $6 million in cap space), Chicago could be back in business.
That said, Bleacher Report believes the Bears are the ‘best fit’ for former first-round draft pick, edge rusher Leonard Floyd.
Spotrac
Recent Chicago #Bears Updates Top 51 Cap Space: $1M (31st)
DT James Lynch 1-year, $1.3M; $100k g’teed Cap Hit: $1.1M
LB Jack Sanborn 1-year, $1.2M Cap Hit: $1M
Bears Labeled ‘Best Fit’ for Reunion with Leonard Floyd
Here’s what BR’s Kristopher Knox had to say on a potential reunion with Floyd and the Bears:
“Pass-rusher Leonard Floyd has entered the ‘veteran mercenary’ stage of his career. However, the 33-year-old remains a disruptive defender who would make plenty of sense for a contender in need of edge help.
This past season, Floyd logged 19 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 19 quarterback pressures, 11 QB hits, and five tackles for loss across 15 games with the Atlanta Falcons. …A reunion would be sensible for the Bears and Floyd.”
The reason for bringing up the Bears’ cap space is that if Floyd wants more money than a veteran minimum contract, then forget about it.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic believed Floyd would sign a one-year, $8 million deal this offseason, writing, “Floyd still has the juice to press tackles to the corner as a rotational rusher. He produced pressure on 13 percent of his pass-rush snaps, a rate that ranked in the top 50 among all players with at least 200 pass-rushing snaps. It topped his pressure rate from each of the previous three seasons.”
However, since he’s still available and the Bears are tight on money, if he’s expecting a one-year deal around $8 million, Chicago won’t be interested. If he’s willing to take a significant pay cut, then things change.
Bears Should Address the Pass Rush in Another Way
Dani Dennis-Sutton
GettyDani Dennis-Sutton #33 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts before a play against the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Bears currently have three main pass rushers: Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Austin Booker.
If Chicago is serious about investing at edge rusher, it shouldn’t be giving a 33-year-old pass rusher like Floyd a one-year deal. Instead, build through the draft.
Even if it’s not in the first round, there are still prospects with extremely high upside. Pass rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is someone the Bears should be targeting in the second round.
He’s one of just five pass rushers since 2015 with a pressure rate higher than 17%, a run stop rate less than 7.5%, a win rate in true pass sets higher than 27.50%, and a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) higher than 9.4/10. The other four? Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, Laiatu Latu, and fellow draft prospect Malachi Lawrence.
Not to mention he had 8.5 sacks and 42 total tackles in each of his last two seasons at Penn State.
Dennis-Sutton also fits what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen wants in a bigger pass rusher at 6’5″ and 256 pounds. Draft a guy like him with one of the two second-round picks, and the Bears are heading in the right direction.