Why Caleb Williams And Darnell Wright Are Causing Bears’ Quiet Free Agency
Chicago Bears fans are having a hard time understanding why the team has been rather quiet in free agency this year. They’ve only made two additions that are clearly intended to be starters on the team. The other additions or re-signings are mostly backups or competition for vacant jobs. Meanwhile, other teams haven’t had any issues spending big money trying to upgrade. Los Angeles just traded for Trent McDuffie and handed him a massive contract. Carolina threw the bag at Jaelan Phillips. Even Baltimore took a giant swing at Trey Hendrickson. So why have the Bears, who have cap flexibility, been so careful? Some theorize quarterback Caleb Williams and right tackle Darnell Wright are to blame.
No, it isn’t them using some kind of political maneuvering to prevent the Bears from throwing money around. Williams has been sending subtle signals that he’d love for the team to keep adding. This is more about the extensions both players have coming, and the cash-strapped owners who will have to give it to them. Bill Zimmerman provided compelling evidence for why those two players are forcing the McCaskeys to budget their money.
Now, think about this aspect. The Bears are about to give Darnell Wright a large contract. It’s probably going to be a 4-year deal worth around $120 million. The Bears are probably going to give him a sizeable signing bonus and guarantee at least half of that contract. When dollars are guaranteed to a player, that money goes in escrow. The cash needs to be available when the contract is signed, even if it doesn’t all go to the player. Not only is George going to have to have a significant amount of cash available for Wright’s extension this summer, but he is going to have to have even more money available to Caleb Williams for his extension in the summer of 2027.
I am not saying there aren’t any concerns that the Bears can’t afford Caleb Williams, but you best believe that signing two contracts like that in back-to-back seasons is going to impact how the Bears are operating this year.
Caleb Williams’ success does have a downside.
The McCaskey family is not poor in the strictest sense of the word. They are billionaires. However, all of that wealth is tied up in the organization. They don’t have additional revenue streams like many other NFL owners do. Based on the latest data available, the McCaskeys are the third-poorest ownership group in the league behind only Art Rooney II in Pittsburgh and the stockholders group in Green Bay. They are worth around $1.3 billion. While that doesn’t mean they’re unable to budget for big swings in free agency, the unfortunate truth is they face stricter limits than other owners.
| Rank | Owner(s) | Team | Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Walton & Family | Denver Broncos | $146.0 Billion |
| 2 | Hunt Family | Kansas City Chiefs | $24.8 Billion |
| 3 | David Tepper | Carolina Panthers | $23.7 Billion |
| 4 | Stan Kroenke | Los Angeles Rams | $21.3 Billion |
| 5 | Jerry Jones & Family | Dallas Cowboys | $21.3 Billion |
| 6 | Jody Allen | Seattle Seahawks | $20.3 Billion |
| 7 | Stephen Ross | Miami Dolphins | $17.0 Billion |
| 8 | Woody Johnson & Family | New York Jets | $16.0 Billion |
| 9 | Shahid Khan | Jacksonville Jaguars | $15.4 Billion |
| 10 | Robert Kraft | New England Patriots | $13.8 Billion |
| 11 | Arthur Blank | Atlanta Falcons | $11.1 Billion |
| 12 | Josh Harris | Washington Commanders | $10.9 Billion |
| 13 | Glazer Family | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $10.2 Billion |
| 14 | Terry & Kim Pegula | Buffalo Bills | $9.3 Billion |
| 15 | Jimmy & Dee Haslam | Cleveland Browns | $8.7 Billion |
| 16 | Steve Bisciotti | Baltimore Ravens | $8.5 Billion |
| 17 | Jed York & DeBartolo York | San Francisco 49ers | $8.4 Billion |
| 18 | Gayle Benson | New Orleans Saints | $7.9 Billion |
| 19 | Jeffrey Lurie & Family | Philadelphia Eagles | $7.6 Billion |
| 20 | Cal McNair & Family | Houston Texans | $7.3 Billion |
| 21 | Mike Brown & Family | Cincinnati Bengals | $5.0 Billion |
| 22 | Irsay Family | Indianapolis Colts | $4.8 Billion |
| 23 | Amy Adams Strunk | Tennessee Titans | $2.8 Billion |
| 24 | Mark Davis | Las Vegas Raiders | $2.5 Billion |
| 25 | Dean Spanos & Family | L.A. Chargers | $2.4 Billion |
| 26 | John Mara / Steve Tisch | New York Giants | $2.1 Billion |
| 27 | Sheila Ford Hamp | Detroit Lions | $2.0 Billion |
| 28 | Michael Bidwill | Arizona Cardinals | $1.4 Billion |
| 29 | Zygi Wilf | Minnesota Vikings | $1.3 Billion |
| 30 | McCaskey Family | Chicago Bears | $1.3 Billion |
| 31 | Art Rooney II | Pittsburgh Steelers | $1.2 Billion |
| 32 | Public Stockholders | Green Bay Packers | N/A |
It isn’t a coincidence that you see teams like Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Green Bay rarely get aggressive in free agency every year. They’ll tell you it’s because they prefer the battle-tested approach of drafting and developing their players. In reality, part of it is because they know they don’t have the deep pockets to take aggressive swings in free agency every year. At the same time, the Rams do it all the time. It certainly doesn’t hurt that their owner is the fourth-richest in the league.
The upcoming new stadium also plays a role in this.
Presuming a resolution is found by the end of this month, construction on a new stadium could begin before the year is over. It’s been reported that the McCaskeys and the rest of the Bears’ ownership are prepared to commit $2 billion to its construction. That is a massive investment. There is no way that looming windfall isn’t having an effect on the purse strings as well. This may sound like excuses, but it’s reality. The McCaskeys have to budget their funds carefully given the significant spending on the horizon.
Priorities must be set. Caleb Williams and Darnell Wright are obvious. Both are cornerstones of the offense. Together with the stadium, that left the Bears with little in the way of cash reserves to do anything other than measured spending on the open market. It is why general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson seem committed to a draft-and-develop approach. That is what organizations must do when they don’t have the checkbook open to them.