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Chicago locked two rookie deals at slot value while their top-10 pick remains unsigned nine days before camp, risking install reps.
19
) and center Logan Jones (pick
35
) to their rookie contracts Thursday
$14.2M
total value with a
$7.8M
signing bonus
The Chicago Bears signed safety Dillon Thieneman (pick 19) and center Logan Jones (pick 35) to their rookie contracts Thursday, leaving one first-round selection unsigned as training camp approaches. The deals follow the league's slotted rookie wage scale—Thieneman's four-year pact carrying a $14.2M total value with a $7.8M signing bonus, Jones at $8.1M over four years with a $3.4M bonus.
The unsigned player is widely reported as a top-10 selection, though the Bears declined comment on negotiations. Slot values for picks 6 through 10 range from $24.8M to $20.1M total, with fifth-year team options standard. Most top-10 picks sign within 48 hours of the draft's conclusion; this one is now 11 days out. The delay signals either offset language disputes—how guaranteed money interacts with future earnings if the player is cut—or fifth-year option acceleration clauses that shift cash flow between Year 4 and Year 5.
Thieneman's addition matters structurally. Chicago allowed 4,890 passing yards last season, third-worst in the NFC, and cycled through five different starting safety combinations. He started 38 games at Purdue, recording 11 interceptions and 23 pass breakups across three seasons, fitting defensive coordinator Eric Washington's cover-3 shell. His contract includes $14.2M fully guaranteed, standard for late-first-round safeties, with offset language that reduces Chicago's liability if he's released before Year 4. The deal runs through the 2028 season with a fifth-year option exercisable in May 2028.
Jones solves a different problem. The Bears ranked 28th in adjusted line yards on Football Outsiders' 2025 efficiency metrics, and center was a rotating door—three starters across 17 games, none re-signed. Jones started 42 consecutive games at LSU, allowing two sacks in 2025 while anchoring a line that produced a 1,680-yard rusher. His $8.1M deal is fully guaranteed, with workout bonuses worth $320K across four years. Chicago can extend him after Year 3 or let the contract expire in 2028, giving GM Ryan Poles optionality as he rebuilds the interior.
The unsigned pick creates the actual problem. Rookies who miss the start of training camp forfeit per diem ($2,200 per week) and fall behind in the playbook install period, historically the steepest learning curve for first-year players. Chicago's camp opens July 22, nine days from now. If the player is a defensive lineman or edge rusher—positions where technique refinement in pads matters most—every missed practice compounds. The Bears invested $103M in free-agent offensive linemen this spring; if the unsigned pick plays defense, his absence delays Washington's scheme implementation by forcing placeholder reps with backups.
Offset language is the likeliest sticking point. Top-10 picks want non-offset guarantees, meaning if Chicago cuts them in Year 3, they collect the remaining salary regardless of what another team pays. The Bears' front office, led by Poles and contract negotiator Cliff Stein, historically insists on offsets to preserve cap flexibility—standard practice for 28 of 32 teams on recent top-10 deals. The compromise usually lands on partial offsets or signing-bonus acceleration that moves guaranteed cash forward, which explains why these negotiations stretch past the courtesy 48-hour window.
Watch the July 22 camp reporting date. If the player is absent, the deal likely hinges on fifth-year option mechanics or workout bonus structure, minor points that take days, not weeks. If he reports unsigned and practices on a provisional basis, it signals both sides expect resolution within 72 hours. Coordinator Washington holds his first full-squad meeting July 21; the unsigned player's locker assignment will telegraph whether the team expects him present. Chicago's first preseason game is August 7 against Cincinnati—16 days to get three first-round picks on the field together.
The Bears drafted three players in the first 35 picks for the first time since 2021, when they took tackle Teven Jenkins, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and guard Larry Borom. Only Johnson remains on the roster. This front office's ability to close rookie contracts without training-camp absences is now 2-for-3, with the most expensive deal still outstanding.
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