Getty Former Cowboys cornerback and free agent Stephon Gilmore.
The Chicago Bears have enough salary-cap space left in 2024 to potentially sign one more veteran to their roster before training camp, and many speculate that an edge rusher — such as Yannick Ngakoue — would make the most sense. The oddsmakers, however, seem to think they could still bring in a veteran cornerback.
According to BetOnline, the Bears are currently getting the second-best odds (+600) behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (+400) to sign cornerback Stephon Gilmore if he does not return to the Dallas Cowboys for the 2024 season. The 33-year-old Gilmore is a five-time Pro Bowler and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019.
Gilmore is past his prime at this point in his career, but he started all 17 games for the Cowboys in 2023, picking off two passes and breaking up another 13. According to Pro Football Focus, he also allowed his lowest completion percentage (54.9%) since 2019 despite getting targetted 91 times in coverage — the third-most targets in his career.
The Bears seem to have three settled starters at cornerback for the 2024 season with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson returning on the perimeter and Kyler Gordon reprising his role in the slot. That said, Johnson and backup Greg Stroman Jr. are the only cornerbacks on the Bears’ roster who have played more than two seasons in the NFL, so it is possible someone of Gilmore’s experience could appeal to them.
Is the Bears targeting Gilmore as likely as the oddsmakers believe, though?
Can Bears Even Afford to Sign Stephon Gilmore?
Gilmore is no doubt still talented enough to be an impact player in the NFL. One does not have to look far to find problems with the Bears potentially signing him, though.
The largest problem, as it usually is for NFL teams trying to add premium talent, is the cost. Gilmore just played out the end of a two-year, $23 million contract, and while the fact that the Indianapolis Colts traded him to the Cowboys in the middle of that deal could impact his value, it likely does not drive it down in comfortable range for Chicago.
According to Spotrac, Gilmore’s projected market value is about $9 million per season. Even if he halved it, the Bears could have less than $4 million in cap space left once they sign the rest of their 2024 draft class and account for other in-season expenses. Hard to justify breaking the bank on someone who might be redundant for them anyway.
Gilmore’s potential redundancy for the Bears is the other notable problem. The Bears might not have heaps of playing experience on their roster, but Stevenson showed long-term potential during his rookie season in 2023 while Gordon came into his own in the slot. The Bears also signed Johnson — their No. 1 veteran — to a four-year, $76 million extension, meaning all three of their top corners are under contract until at least 2026.
There’s just no need to add a high-priced Gilmore — who turns 34 in September — to the equation, especially with a promising backup in Terell Smith at No. 4 in the fold.
If Not Stephon Gilmore, Could Another CB Fit Bears?
The oddsmakers also think the Bears could have an interest in another cornerback: Former Miami Dolphins superstar and four-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard.
If Howard does not return to the Dolphins, the New York Giants (+400), the Jaguars (+500) and the Bears (+600) have the next-best odds to sign him in free agency. It is also highly unlikely the Dolphins will bring him back given they released him with a post-June 1 designation at the beginning of the new league year back in March.
The Bears would have just as many problems trying to sign Howard as they would trying to sign Gilmore — and potentially even more. Howard has played worse than Gilmore in coverage over the past few seasons. The Dolphins also released him with three years left on his contract earlier this offseason, a more concerning sign than the Cowboys simply deciding not to re-sign Gilmore after his contract expired in March.
Howard did indicate he would be willing to take a pay cut to join a playoff contender, but the Bears are not necessarily at that point just yet. And even if they were, they still might not have enough money or playing time to properly entice Howard.
At this point, barring a major injury, the Bears are likely out of the cornerback market.
