The Chicago Bears entered the 2023 NFL free agency with the most money under the salary cap, and they acted like it on the first day of the league's two-day negotiation window.
The Bears trailed only the Denver Broncos as the NFL's biggest spenders Monday.
Free Agency Day 1 biggest spenders so far 💰
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 14, 2023
Broncos - $219.3M
Bears - $121.5M
Falcons $108M
49ers - $86.1M
Raiders - $84.4M
Chiefs - $80M
General manager Ryan Poles' most expensive contract was doled out to linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who signed a four-year, $72 million deal. He now owns the richest four-year contract of any off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
Guard Nate Davis was signed to a three-year, $30 million contract, while TJ Edwards, another linebacker, inked a three-year, $19.5 million deal. The Bears signed defensive end Demarcus Walker to a three-year, $21 million deal late Monday night.
The Chicago Bears still have salary-cap flexibility to add another big-ticket free agent. Perhaps one of the offensive tackles who remain unsigned -- Orlando Brown Jr. and Kaleb McGary -- will be Poles' big get on Day 2.