The Bears have the money

One of the keys that makes this Garoppolo situation more complicated is the status of his contract. The 2017 season will mark the last he’s on his rookie deal from 2014. In other words he’ll be a free agent in 2018. That means any team that decides to trade for him will have to negotiate an extension almost right away. Nobody is going to give up multiple draft picks for a player who might bolt after just one year.

Chicago holds an advantage here for two reasons. They have enough money to give him that new contract. Given his age and starting experience, odds are it will cost somewhere in the $14-16 million range. That’s exactly what they’re paying Jay Cutler on his current deal. He will be cut or traded the moment Garoppolo is acquired. So in essence the Bears are just handing a similar deal to him.

It’s actually not a bad deal for a team. Bases of 12.5, 13.5, 17.5, 19.2, very little dead money at release https://t.co/5kp7lhUVwp https://t.co/dYXqRJERE4

— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) February 1, 2017

Then there is the location factor as mentioned earlier. Garoppolo has some leverage in that he can choose not to sign an extension with certain teams that want to trade for him. So while Cleveland and San Francisco may have the money as well, Garoppolo could scare them away with threats that he wouldn’t sign a new deal. Thus allowing him to pick his destination. Given his ties to Chicago, that gives the Bears an edge.