The Chicago Bears have spent a good deal of money and assets to improve the roster this offseason, though bringing new players into the secondary has not been a priority.
Chicago inked Kyler Gordon to a three-year, $40 million deal this offseason, which made him the richest slot cornerback in NFL history. That contract came one year after the Bears signed two-time Pro-Bowl outside cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a four-year agreement worth $76 million.
The other starting cornerback on the outside is third-year DB Tyrique Stevenson, who struggled mightily during his second year in the league. Stevenson earned a 58.6 player grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 134th out of 222 cornerbacks who played enough snaps to qualify in 2024.
Given that, combined with the fact that Chicago has nearly $15 million in salary cap space remaining for the 2025 season, the Bears provide a potentially logical landing spot for former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. Green Bay released Alexander on Monday, two years into a four-year contract worth $84 million total in a move that saved the Packers $17 million.
Alexander’s availability led to some suggestions around the NFL universe of Chicago as a destination, though David Haugh pushed back against that idea on CHSN’s X channel.
“Maybe he will have a market. I don’t think that will include the Bears,” David Haugh of CHSN said. “The Bears have the cap space, but just because you have the money doesn’t mean you have to spend it. I like the cornerback room. I like the way Tyrique Stevenson has embraced the challenge. Jaire Alexander, when healthy, is an All-Pro caliber cornerback. But that’s the key word — ‘when healthy’ — and he hasn’t been.”
Bears Could Land Jaire Alexander for Good Value in Free Agency
GettyFormer Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Alexander is a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Second-Team All-Pro. He earned each of those honors most recently in 2022, which was also the last time he appeared in double-digit games in a regular season.
The cornerback missed 10 contests in each of the past two campaigns, mostly due to injury. However, the Packers also suspended him one game for disciplinary issues over that span. He also missed 13 games in 2021, the year before the Packers inked him to what was the richest-ever contract for a cornerback in league history at that point.
On the flip side, Alexander is only 28 years old and could potentially be available on a relatively inexpensive contract as he attempts to rebuild his value in the hopes of another big contract in spring 2026.
Bears May Look to Spend Remaining Salary Cap on Upgrade to Running Back Room
GettyRunning back D’Andre Swift of the Chicago Bears.
As Haugh pointed out, the Bears don’t necessarily have to spend the remainder of the salary cap just because it’s there, as they could also roll it over to next season (among other options).
However, the team appears all in on trying to win right away in a competitive NFC North Division. As such, adding another starting-caliber cornerback with high upside like Alexander could be a wise investment.
Another possible option on Chicago’s wish list may be a complementary running back to play alongside D’Andre Swift. Former Cleveland Browns rusher Nick Chubb was in the mix for the Bears this offseason, though he signed a one-year deal to join the Houston Texans Monday.
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