Bears do not make a qualifying offer to their restricted free agents

The NFL’s deadline to tender a qualifying offer to restricted free agents was today at 3:00 p.m. (CT), and the Chicago Bears have decided to pass on that option with all four of theirs.

That means the following players will be unrestricted free agents and able to sign with any other team.

Breon Borders, CB

Darrynton Evans, RB

Sam Mustipher, C

Javin White, LB

Restricted free agents are players with three years of accrued NFL seasons.

The Bears could bring any of these players back, but their contract offer would be closer to the league minimum than what a qualifying offer would have been.

Here is some info from the NFL on what the RFA qualifying offers would have been.

Q. What are the right of first refusal/qualifying offer amounts for players who have completed three accrued seasons?

A. For right of first refusal only, a one-year salary of at least $2,627,000.

For right of first refusal and compensation at the player’s original draft round, a one-year salary of at least $2,743,000 or 110 percent of the 2022 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

For right of first refusal and compensation of one second-round draft selection, a one-year salary of at least $4,304,000 or 110 percent of the 2022 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

For right of first refusal and compensation of one first-round draft selection, a one-year salary of at least $6,005,000 or 110 percent of the 2022 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

For right of first refusal and compensation of only one first-round draft selection, but any provision in the new club’s offer sheet waiving or limiting the new club’s ability to designate the player as a franchise or transition player is not a principal term and need not be matched by the prior club, a one-year salary of at least $6,505,000 or 110 percent of the 2022 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

Do you guys expect to see the Bears bring back any of those four players on a smaller deal?