Bears Named Favorites to Sign 5-Time Pro Bowl WR in Free Agency

Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

The Chicago Bears will need new receivers in 2024 with Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown both set to enter NFL free agency next month and could attempt to take one with one of their two first-round picks in the draft.

If they want another veteran to line up opposite star DJ Moore, though, the odds favor them kicking the tires on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans for 2024. The oddsmakers still like the Buccaneers (-165) for re-signing Evans, but the Bears are the odds-on favorites (+650) to add the five-time Pro Bowler if Tampa moves on.

Evans has finished each of his first 10 seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards — an NFL record — and notched the third-most single-season receiving yards (1,255) of his career over 17 games for the Buccaneers in 2023. He also recorded a league-leading 13 touchdown receptions, earning him Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro recognition.

At 30 years old, Evans could be nearing the exit ramp of the NFL prime, but he is still a high-quality starter who could provide the Bears with an excellent boundary partner for Moore and help elevate their passing offense during the 2024 season. Chicago also has the financial resources to sign Evans to a lucrative, multi-year contract in free agency.

According to Pro Football Focus, Evans is projected to sign a three-year, $69 million contract with about $52.5 million in guaranteed money. Meanwhile, the Bears have a projected $34.74 million in effective cap space and can clear roughly $21 million more if they shed the contracts of a few pricier veterans, such as left guard Cody Whitehair.

Mike Evans Makes Less Sense Than High-End Rookie

The Bears would be doing a massive favor for their quarterback — whether it is Justin Fields or a first-round rookie — if they assembled a duo of Mike Evans and DJ Moore. Moore would still be the No. 1 receiving target, but the presence of Evans and tight end Cole Kmet would diversify new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s passing attack.

Unfortunately, the projected sticker price on Evans could be a dealbreaker, even if the odds like the Bears’ chances of being able to reel him in during 2024 NFL free agency.

The Bears have options — including Evans — in free agency, but they are also in a good draft position to consider investing a top-10 selection into a new hot-shot wide receiver. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrision Jr. would likely be the top target if they opted to keep Fields and trade the No. 1 pick, but LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze could also be in play for them with their second pick at No. 9 overall.

Chicago could still invest in a free-agent receiver even if they want to target one in the first round of the 2024 draft, but they are more likely to pursue veterans who are more affordable than Evans and his expected $23 million price tag. Receivers like Tyler Boyd and Curtis Samuel should cost less than $10 million annually and could make sense.

Kendrick Bourne, DJ Chark Jr., Odell Beckham Jr., Michael Thomas and K.J. Osborn are also pending free agents who could appeal to the Bears as lower-priced receivers.

What Are Bears’ Non-1st-Round Options at Receiver?

The Bears are almost certainly going to invest in at least one receiver in the 2024 draft, but it is far from a consensus that they will take one in the first round. So, if they resort to finding pass-catchers outside of the first round, who could be available for them?

ESPN’s latest mock draft saw LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. (No. 18), Florida State’s Keon Coleman (No. 24) and Texas’ Xavier Worthy (No. 32) all get drafted in Round 1, but it is not unreasonable to think one or multiple of them could slip into the second round. The Bears do not own a second-rounder, but they are likely to pick one up through a trade — whether it be from trading back from the No. 1 spot or moving Fields to a new team.

Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Oregon’s Troy Franklin and North Carolina’s Devontez Walker are also among the Day 2 projections and could all realistically fit with the Bears if they want to draft a receiver with a high chance of being a rookie impact player.

Of course, the first and second rounds are not the only place to find receivers. Look no further than Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua, who was the final pick of the fifth round in 2023 and caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. The 22-year-old is currently in the running for this year’s Rookie of the Year award.