February is nearly finished and the Chicago Bears haven't wasted any time fully embracing the NFL offseason.
Preparing for head coach Ben Johnson's first year behind the bench, the Bears decided to shake up their roster on Friday by releasing tight end Gerald Everett and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker from their contracts. With plenty of roster fat left to trim, Chicago fans are wondering who might be next on the chopping block.
We have released Gerald Everett and DeMarcus Walker.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 21, 2025
Bears News: Ryan Bates Should Be Next on Chopping Block
According to OverTheCap, the Bears now have nearly $80 million to play with this offseason following the latest pair of releases. If they want to further increase their spending budget, they must consider cutting veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates.
After a solid run at Penn State, Bates joined the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent during the 2019 offseason. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills before his rookie campaign began in a move that would benefit him as he ascended the depth chart.
Bates' ascent caught the Bears' attention, resulting in them giving him a four-year, $17 million offer sheet during the 2022 offseason. The Bills quickly matched the offer sheet, however, the former Nittany Lion eventually made his way to the Windy City when he was traded to Chicago in exchange for a 2024 fifth-rounder last March.
Unfortunately, Bates' Bears debut was quite uneventful. After suiting up in Week 1. the 6-foot-4 blocker spent nearly two months on injured reserve with elbow and shoulder injuries. His return only lasted two games before he ended up back on the IR with a season-ending concussion.
It didn't help that Bates failed to make the most of his limited opportunities. Playing exclusively at guard, the Langhorne, PA native finished with Pro Football Focus pass protection and run block grades of 62.8 and 48.8, respectively, which were both among the worst efforts of his career.
The good news is the Bears can easily wash their hands of Bates this offseason. Although he's still under contract for $4 million in 2025, that entire number will come off the books if he's released before March 14 or after June 1, according to Spotrac. A potential trade would facilitate the same amount of savings.
Unless Johnson is confident in a turnaround, there's a good chance that Bates' time with the Bears will end this offseason. As good as he was in the past, suffering two major injuries in one season makes a complete bounce-back unlikely.
At the end of the day, the Bears should cut ties soon rather than come to regret rostering Bates once the regular season begins.