Bears Expected to Part Ways With $51.2 Million Starter

Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

The Chicago Bears are going to be looking to add more players for their rebuild when NFL free agency begins, but a few veterans, such as Cody Whitehair, are likely to find themselves on the chopping block in March.

“Guard Cody Whitehair is a prime candidate to be cut for salary-cap space,” Shaw Media’s Sean Hammond wrote in a January 20 story in The Daily Herald. “Whitehair, who ended the season as a backup, is set to cost $13 million against the salary cap in 2024. That would make him the second-highest-paid player on the offense behind [DJ] Moore.”

Whitehair, who will turn 32 in July, has started 118 games as an interior offensive lineman for the Bears over the past eight seasons, splitting his time between guard and center. After the Bears benched him from his starting job during the 2023 season, though, his future appeared far from certain heading into 2024 — and his sizable cap number doesn’t help.

Whitehair, who is heading into the final year of his 5-year, $51.2 million contract in 2024, is set to carry a cap hit of $13.25 million, which is pricey for a veteran who has slipped into a backup role. According to Over the Cap, the Bears would also free up $9.15 million in cap space if they released Whitehair before the start of the new league year on March 13.

Bleacher Report also featured him in a January 16 story, calling him one of the Bears’ three most likely cap casualties for 2024.

Decline of Cody Whitehair Likely Signals End in Sight

The Bears have financial motives for wanting to cut ties with Whitehair in 2024. Over the Cap projects them to have roughly $46.87 million in cap space for 2024, but they could add $9.15 million in additional space if they release him.

Chicago could then use that money on more important roster-building decisions, such as potentially signing All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a long-term extension or finding a veteran edge rusher in free agency whom they could pair with Montez Sweat.

Whitehair’s declining performance is likely more important than the money, though.

The Bears actually paid more to Whitehair in 2023 ($14.1 million) than they would have to pay him to stick around in 2024 ($13.25 million), but the context there is important. Last year, the Bears believed Whitehair could move back to center and become a viable starter at the position for them. This year, there are no such misconceptions.

Whitehair played poorly in both of his starts at center in 2023, with some horrid snaps forcing quarterback Justin Fields to adjust on the fly. He did not fare much better in his eight starts at left guard, either, allowing 3 sacks and proving to be a liability for the Bears’ rushing offense. Based on Pro Football Focus’ metrics, he finished with the worst overall offensive grade (45.0) and run-blocking grade (42.4) of his career.

If Whitehair’s contract were cheaper, maybe the Bears would consider keeping him around as a backup/depth player given his ability to play multiple interior spots. But at $13.2 million, Chicago appears to have an easy decision to make about his future.

What Will Bears Do About Center Position for 2024?

Even in the highly unlikely scenario that Whitehair manages to keep his roster spot for the 2024 season, the Bears are still going to be on the hunt for a new starting center during the offseason. The uncertainty lies in how they will address the need: Will they sign a proven veteran starter in NFL free agency or draft a rookie to start instead?

The Bears have a few options to consider in free agency, but none of them appear to be big fish. Connor Williams might have qualified after a strong two seasons with Miami, but he tore his ACL in December and might not be ready in time for the start of 2024. Other veteran options include Aaron Brewer, Andre James and Lloyd Cushenberry.

The Bears could also hold out to see if Tampa Bay designates Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen as a post-June 1 cut, but he missed the entire 2023 season with a reaggravated knee injury and carries even more injury concern than Williams at nearly 34 years old.

Even if the Bears do sign a veteran, they might still find it valuable to invest in a center during the 2024 NFL draft. Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier and Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran could all be options in the first three rounds; however, the Bears would likely need to trade back into the second round to have their choice of the three.

Chicago could also target either Arkansas’ Beaux Limmer and Michigan’s Drake Nugent as late as Day 3, but it could make finding an immediate starter more challenging — hence why signing a veteran to compete with a rookie might be a practical approach.