The Chicago Bears’ wide receivers room is starting to take shape.
The Bears are adding their second wideout of the new league year and are set to sign former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Byron Pringle.
Insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network dropped the news first, also revealing Pringle is expected to ink a one-year, $6 million deal with $4 million guaranteed and $2 million more possible via incentives.
Pringle, 28, was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State in 2018 and has spent his first four years in Kansas City. Thus, he has a connection to new Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who was serving as the Chiefs’ director of college scouting at the time Pringle was brought in.
He joins former Green Bay Packers wideout Equanimeous St. Brown as the first two additions at the position so far, with more surely coming.
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Pringle: Background, Stats & Injury History
Pringle started his college career at Butler Community College in Kansas, where he was named to the all-conference team as a sophomore. He transferred to KSU in 2016, where he played his junior and senior seasons.
In his 25 games at Kansas State, Pringle had 69 catches for 1,355 yards (19.6 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns. He also returned two kickoffs for scores and averaged 27.6 yards per return over his two seasons.
The 6-foot-1, 203-pound receiver ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and finished with a 33.5 vertical at the combine in 2018.
As an UDFA coming out of college, he was scooped up by Kansas City but was forced to miss the entire 2018 season after he tore his left hamstring and was later diagnosed with a inguinal hernia after a preseason game against the Packers.
He has had no major injuries since, playing in 46 of a possible 49 games from 2019-21.
He had 25 catches, 330 yards receiving and two touchdowns in 2019 and 2020 combined before breaking out a bit last year.
Pringle finished his 2021 campaign with 42 catches for 568 yards and 5 touchdowns, and will likely be WR3 for Chicago.
Byron Pringle is a WR3. Equanimeous St. Brown is a WR4 (at best).
Bears still need a starting WR to pair with Darnell Mooney.
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Bears Getting Solid Team-First Guy in Pringle
Pringle’s experience as a returner makes him, along with second-year running back Khalil Herbert, the team’s only kickoff/punt return specialists on the roster. Pringle returned both punts and kickoffs in college, so it’s possible he gets a chance to do both.
He returned 25 kicks for 621 yards with the Chiefs in 2021.
Bears insider Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog noted that Poles wanted Pringle in Chicago, and added that with new Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy also bringing St. Brown in, things seem to be going according to plan.
“Pringle was the guy Poles wanted. St. Brown was the guy Getsy wanted. Sure seems like the Bears have a plan.”
Pringle was the guy Poles wanted.
St. Brown was the guy Getsy wanted.
Sure seems like the Bears have a plan.
For his part, Pringle seems to have a great mindset when it comes to being a team player.
“I fish a lot, and you never know when the fish is going to bite the bait,” Pringle told Sports Illustrated in December of 2021. “It teaches you patience. Just go in and grind, don’t look at who’s in front of you. As long as we come out with that dub, at the end of the game, that’s all that matters to me as a player and as a teammate. As long as we win and I executed my plan and took advantage of the opportunity that was given to me, I’m okay with it.”
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Bears Signing Versatile Ex-Chiefs WR Coming Off Career Year