(670 The Score) At the end of a disappointing 2020 season, the Bears heaped praise on their organizational culture. It was the reason, they said in January, for why they retained general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy for the 2021 season.
"We have exactly the right football culture that all teams strive for," Bears president Ted Phillips said then.
The Bears' culture is about to be tested, with the team facing a potential breaking point.
In need of salary cap space, the Bears are planning to part ways with top cornerback Kyle Fuller -- either through a release to clear $11 million or a trade, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported. A seven-year veteran and one of the most respected players in the Bears' locker room, Fuller will soon be playing for another team -- and he could just be starting the line out of Halas Hall.
The Bears have also given star defensive lineman Akiem Hicks permission to seek a trade, the Chicago Tribune reported. He's due $10.5 million in 2021, and his exit would clear more salary cap space. If Hicks were to depart, the Bears would be losing the beating heart of their once-vaunted defense. He's a player and person who's considered indispensable in the locker room.
Upon learning of Fuller's impending exit and the possibility that Hicks could be out too, the Bears had several key players who were "pissed," as one source close to the team described. Star safety Eddie Jackson, who recently restructured his contract with the hope of keeping a teammate like Fuller in Chicago, tweeted his frustration after the news of Fuller's future became public.
"At this point," Jackson tweeted with a face-palming emoji. He later deleted the tweet.
Thursday didn't mark the first time Bears players have publicly expressed displeasure with Pace and the front office. Many took to Twitter in support of star receiver Allen Robinson last fall as his contract extension negotiations broke down. Robinson accepted the franchise tag at $18 million on Thursday, officially bringing back him to a team that suddenly looks much different.
There's a reason players are upset. The Bears aren't moving forward with some sort of strategic rebuild. They're simply hemorrhaging talent as they head toward a must-win 2021 season.
Chicago reached this desperate point because of missteps by Pace and his front office in managing their contracts. The Bears were recently more than $22 million over their adjusted salary cap of $190 million, which led them to restructure the contracts of Jackson, edge rusher Khalil Mack and guard Cody Whitehair.
That will create future complications and still wasn't enough to create a healthy cap now as quarterback Andy Dalton joined the Bears on a one-year, $10-million deal. The most regrettable contract on Chicago's books is for pass rusher Robert Quinn, who was signed to a five-year, $70-million deal last March at the start of a pandemic that was bound to affect future league finances. Quinn had two sacks in 15 games in the first season of his deal in Chicago.
Pace could now be looking to clear the cap space necessary to sign free-agent receiver Kenny Golladay, whom he and Nagy hosted for a visit Wednesday night. But a marquee addition for the Bears' offense would come with subtractions to the defense.
It was hardly a surprise that the Bears ended up in this position. Pace reworked contract after contract with the hope of maximizing the Bears' roster over the last three seasons, pushing off their salary cap realities to future years. The Bears finally were capped out entering this offseason with a shrunken salary cap. Now they're paying the price by perhaps losing multiple important players.
The key players who remain under contract with the Bears for 2021 will be left to simmer at Pace and the front office. In recent seasons, Pace stood by struggling quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, only brought in underperforming backup Nick Foles to challenge him and built a sputtering offense that let down a strong defense. Through it all, the Bears' locker room culture held together in consecutive 8-8 regular seasons.
What will come of this? Pace was spared and has returned for a seventh year as general manager, while Nagy is back for his fourth season as head coach. As they lead the way, great change is coming to the team's roster. It has already left the locker room distraught.
As the Bears head toward a 2021 season that must produce wins, they're already losing.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram