Bears Named Prime Landing Spot for $72 Million Pro Bowl WR

Getty Giants WR Kenny Golladay has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks.

Could Kenny Golladay be an option at wide receiver for the Chicago Bears?

The sixth-year receiver inked a four-year, $72 million contract with the New York Giants’ former regime in the spring of 2021, but NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on September 26 that Golladay was a potential trade candidate due to his lack of playing time and perceived disconnect with a new regime led by general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Through three games in 2022, Golladay his played just 35% of the team’s offensive snaps and has caught just two passes on five targets for 22 yards. The veteran wideout has recently expressed confusion over his lack of snaps, as there haven’t been any rumors of his playing time being cut due to his attitude or work ethic.

“The GM, head coach, all these coaches keep saying ‘you do everything right, you handle yourself the right way,'” Golladay said, via NFL.com. “So … it’s a little confusing.”

Should Bears’ GM Ryan Poles get on the phone with Schoen about a possible trade?

Multiple Insiders & Analysts Name Bears Top Fit for Golladay

Heavy’s NFL insider Matt Lombardo wrote on September 28 that the Bears, who are currently desperate for wide receiver help after placing Byron Pringle on injured reserve, “could always try to add a veteran player such as Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay.”

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm also named the Bears as a top fit for Golladay, noting Chicago quarterback Justin Fields could really use a few more weapons.

“There aren’t a ton of daunting games on the schedule, and if the Bears think they can be a surprise contender, adding a veteran to the receiving room could make some sense,” Edholm noted. “It also might help in the new regime’s evaluation of Fields — how can they truly tell how good he can be if he’s working with an incomplete offensive crew?”

That’s fair — but would adding a player as inconsistent as Golladay has been in recent years really be a good thing for Fields and the Bears?

Golladay’s Contract Is Huge Hurdle, But Performance Also an Issue

Golladay, who turns 29 in November, made the Pro Bowl with the Detroit Lions in 2019 after catching 65 passes for 1,190 yards and a league-high 11 touchdowns. He was limited by a hamstring injury in 2020 and finished with 20 receptions for 338 yards and two scores in five games.

After his first year with the Giants in 2021, in which he hauled in 37 passes on 76 targets for 521 yards and no TDs in 14 games, he was re-signed to a four-year, $72 million deal. He has yet to live up to that hefty paycheck with his on-field performance, and his contract remains a primary roadblock when it comes to a trade.

“The Giants could trade Golladay to an interested party, and likely the only way it would work is if New York pays the bulk of his contract in exchange for a late-round pick, sources say. That is a possibility,” Rapoport noted on September 26.

Golladay has a base salary of $13 million this season, per Spotrac, and cap hits upwards of $21 million over the next several years. That’s not something Poles would likely want to take on, even if New York lessened the load a bit financially.

The Bears are set to get rookie receiver Velus Jones Jr. back soon, and N’Keal Harry should also be coming off IR in October, so they’ll have a few contributors returning. They’re better off sticking with them or looking at a cheaper option in free agency than Golladay.