Chicago Bears: Extension with Eddie Goldman proves Ryan Pace serious

The Chicago Bears put the finishing touches on the 2018 offseason by resigning standout nose tackle Eddie Goldman. What does this mean for the Bears going forward?

Not even a week after the Chicago Bears reached a record-breaking extension with star pass rusher Khalil Mack, general manager Ryan Pace has just extended star nose tackle Eddie Goldman. Per Ian Rapoport, it’s a four-year extension worth $42 million-plus with $25 million guaranteed.

Pace pulled off something similar last season when he extended defensive lineman Akiem Hicks the day before the Bears played the Atlanta Falcons the opening week of the season. Much like resigning Hicks, the extension of Goldman really just shows how much Pace and ownership are willing to pay big money for players that perform at a high level.

Goldman is still getting better each year, too. People forget he’s only 24 years old. So, he will still be able to get another nice contract before his career is done. Now, Goldman just has to make sure that he stays healthy during the rest of his career as a Bear. If he does, he will make an even larger impact since Mack is going to be commanding much of the opposing offensive line’s attention. Goldman will be able to face a lot of one-on-ones as he won’t be able to be double teamed as much anymore.

Paying homegrown players really sends a message to players in the locker room that if they ball out that they too can get compensated fairly. That message has ripple effects in the locker room because players will care that much more on the field in helping the team win. It’s just great for morale. The same can’t be said in the Oakland Raiders locker room after they didn’t want to pay Mack.

The next extension Pace gets to work on next is safety Adrian Amos. I could see Amos getting seven to eight million dollars per season in his extension. It’s wise for the Bears to lock up these players while quarterback Mitch Trubisky is on his rookie deal. I’m assuming outside linebacker Leonard Floyd will have his fifth year option picked up, so that contract will have to get done eventually, also.

It’s absolutely crucial to keep the Bears young core together for years to come. If you really dissect this Bears team, they’re just full of young, ascending players. Corner Kyle Fuller was just resigned and I expect him to continue to grow as a player as well.