Getty Defensive lineman P.J. Hall had a work out with the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears brought former Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans defensive lineman P.J. Hall in for a workout, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. A three-year veteran, Hall was a second-round selection for the Raiders ( 57th overall), and he spent two seasons with them before getting dealt to the Minnesota Vikings in 2020.
A failed physical in Minnesota resulted in Hall reverting back to the Raiders, who waived him shortly after that. He landed with the Texans in August last season, and Las Vegas placed a second-round tender on him in March, only to rescind the offer in April.
The free agent d-lineman ran into some trouble off the field this summer when he was arrested, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN, “on charges of assault and interference with public duties. According to court documents, Hall caused ‘bodily injury … by pushing the Complainant with his hand.'”
Hall was released after he posted a $1,000 bond. He has not been convicted or sentenced at this time.
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P.J. Hall Stats & Injury History
Hall played his college ball at Sam Houston State, where he was a four-year starter from 2014-17. He was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award in 2016, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player. At Sam Houston, he racked up 284 tackles, 86.5 tackles for loss, 42 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four interceptions and 14 blocked kicks over 56 games.
The Raiders had high hopes for him, but he never quite became the player Jon Gruden and company hoped he would be. In two seasons with Las Vegas, Hall played in 30 games, starting 18. He had 48 total tackles (34 solo, 8 for loss), 1.5 sacks, 7 quarterback hits and two passes defensed. In his lone season with the Texans, Hall played in 10 games and started nine. He finished the year with 34 total tackles (18 solo, two for loss), a sack and two QB hits. He tore his pectoral muscle in November, landing him on the injured reserve list to end the season.
The pectoral injury was the most significant of the 26-year-old’s career, however, so he has no major red flags injury-wise.
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Hall Was Called Out By Raiders’ HC Jon Gruden
Hall’s days in Las Vegas seemed numbered after his former head coach publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the d-lineman’s weight. He was traded to the Vikings a few days after Gruden called him out for gaining 20+ pounds in the offseason.
An overweight defensive end/tackle (Hall has played both positions) isn’t exactly something that seems to mesh well with what the Bears are currently trying to do on defense under new DC Sean Desai.
“The big thing for us is we want to take the ball away,” Desai said, referencing his unit’s primary objectives this season, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “We believe in tackling. We believe in running to the ball. We believe in taking the ball away.”
If Hall was in shape and impressed at his tryout, though, the Bears could add him for additional depth on the d-line, which is something they always seem to be looking for.
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Bears Showing Interest in Controversial Ex-Raiders DE: Report