Chicago Bears: Three reasons not to trade for Jalen Ramsey

Reason #2: How are the Bears gonna pay this guy?

One stipulation that came with the blockbuster deal for Mack was that the Bears had to offer him a gigantic new contract. He held out in Oakland in an attempt to get the Raiders to pay him, but they opted to send him to Chicago instead. Thanks, Reggie McKenzie.

While Ramsey isn’t holding out, he’s made no secret that he thinks he should be paid more. He showed up to Jaguars training camp this year in a literal Brinks truck. A not-so-subtle message that he wants a major raise in his next contract.

Ramsey has one more year left on his deal after this season. He’ll get about a $10 million raise in 2020 because the last year of his contract was picked up as a team option. Having said that, he still may hold out in the hopes of getting a massive long-term contract.

Mack’s holdout got him a $141 million deal, but Ramsey may have to settle for a bit less than that. Even if Ramsey asked for less than Mack (who is the highest-paid defender in the NFL), the Bears still don’t have the flexibility to sign him to an extension.

If Ramsey somehow doesn’t hold out for a new deal, it would still complicate things for the Bears money-wise. The team is going to have tough cuts to make in the 2020 offseason to avoid a potential salary cap crisis.