The Bears released offensive guard Nate Davis, acknowledging a major mistake made in free agency. They acquired Davis with a three-year, $30 million contract, with $19.25 million guaranteed, before last season, and was the highest-paid offensive lineman on the roster.

He wasn’t, however, an active participant on the team. He lost his job to Matt Pryor early in the 2024 season and was regularly a healthy scratch as the campaign progressed. Davis wasn’t even the first guard off the bench, with Bill Murray in the primary backup role until he went on injured reserve.

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Davis was inactive for his last game as a Bear, ruled out with a back injury on Sunday morning after not being listed on the injury report all week. The Bears tried to trade him before the deadline, but were ultimately unsuccessful. Now they let him go without any compensation.

In sum, Davis played 16 games for the Bears and made 13 starts. He didn’t perform well when it did play, ultimately leading the Bears to let him go during a week where head coach Matt Eberflus vowed to make changes in at attempt to kickstart the offense. They cut Davis despite having to pay his entire salary for the rest of the year.

This move comes with the offensive line banged up at all positions, including the guard spot. Davis was of no help on the left, and interior offensive lineman Ryan Bates is capable of playing all three spots. So, even if Teven Jenkins is unavailable on the left, the Bears have options.

Since Davis was cut after the NFL trade deadline, he is subject to waivers. But the team that claims him would be responsible for the $3.9 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract for this season.