The Bears’ addition of wideout Santonio Holmes reportedly comes at a relatively low cost for Chicago.
In fact, it may cost the Bears no salary at all.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Holmes received a one-year deal for a non-guaranteed salary of $855,000 — the veteran minimum.
If the 30-year-old Holmes doesn’t make the club, the Bears won’t be on the hook for any more compensation. But if he proves a solid third option behind Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the Bears will have made quite the value signing.
For Holmes, the deal functions as a one-year “prove-it” contract. If healthy and productive with Chicago, Holmes could improve his value entering free agency in 2015. He may still be young enough to garner one more multiyear deal if he has a bounce-back year with the Bears.
