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Chicago Bears free agency: Possible new law may affect team’s free agency bids

By Carlos Nazario

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith before Super Bowl LI between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith before Super Bowl LI between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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A new legislation in Illinois would restrict disability claims for athletes. The NFLPA accuses the Chicago Bears of being behind this and vow to keep free agents from coming to Chicago.

The Chicago Bears plan to hit free agency this offseason with millions of dollars of cap space. They have almost $55 million available now, and with a round of cuts that figure should go higher.

With all that money to spend, things may get difficult for them, however.

There is a new bill in the Illinois legislature that seeks to restrict their Workers’ Compensation benefits. Instead of getting benefits to the age of 67 like other workers, their benefits would end at age 35.

The Bears released a statement on the proposed changes.

"We join the four other major professional Chicago teams in monitoring and supporting changes to the system that protect athletes’ rights under the workers’ compensation system while acknowledging athletes are not competing professionally until age 67. Nothing in the wage differential language under consideration impacts the right for any athlete to receive just compensation for partial or permanent injury, medical benefits or to file a claim itself.More from Da Windy City3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks shootout loss to NashvilleChicago Cubs in the middle of chaos that is Shohei Ohtani’s free agencyThe Chicago Cubs are on a roller coaster of emotions chasing Shohei OhtaniChicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidatesChicago White Sox News: Erick Fedde signs two-year deal"

NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith says this is just another way for ownership to deny compensation to their players. “Its only effect is to hurt people who get hurt for a living,” Smith said. “…It’s just cheapness. It’s just being cheap.”

Furthermore, Smith went on to say that the union would advise its free agent players to stay away from the Chicago Bears.

“I will tell you from the bottom of my heart that this union will tell every potential free-agent player, if this bill passes, to not come to the Bears,” Smith told 670 The Score. “Because think about it: If you’re a free-agent player and you have an opportunity to go play somewhere else where you can get lifetime medical for the injury you’re going to have, isn’t a smarter financial decision to go to a team where a bill like this hasn’t passed?”

If players perceive the Bears as being cheap and not looking out for injured players, that could have a dire effect on their rebuilding project. Look at what happened with the Chicago Bulls after the struggles players like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had with the front office. After they left, the top free agents have been hesitant to come to Chicago.

Next: Post Super Bowl Bears mock draft

It seems that whenever the Chicago Bears have a chance to fix its situations, the McCaskeys mess things up. Hopefully, things get worked out and this ultimately doesn’t hurt the Bears’ rebuild.

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