Getty CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 05: Blake Martinez #50 and Jaire Alexander #23 of the Green Bay Packers team up against Mike Davis #25 of the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field on September 05, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have released a player who was supposed to be a productive offseason acquisition: running back Mike Davis. Davis had been sending out tweets all week noting that he was continuing to stay positive, and his Saturday morning tweet seemed to suggest that he had been cut, as he simply said: “Appreciate you, Chicago.”
Appreciate you Chicago 🙌🏿
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed the news soon after Saturday morning:
The Bears signed Davis to a two-year, $6 million contract this year, and his offensive output has been negligible. So far this season, Davis had 11 rushes for 25 yards (2.3 yards per attempt). He was brought into Chicago after the Bears traded Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Along with third-round draft pick David Montgomery, and third-year running back Tarik Cohen, the Bears were supposed to have a diverse running attack this season. They even saw themselves get dubbed with a preseason moniker: “Run D.M.C.” But the Bears haven’t done much running all season. Instead, they have been one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL.
What Will the Bears Get in Return for Mike Davis?
GettyChicago Bears running back Mike Davis cuts away from Green Bay Packers safety Raven Greene.
After releasing Davis, the Bears will now very likely receive a fourth round comp pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The pick will technically be stemming from the loss of safety Adrian Amos to free agency–when the Bears signed free agent Davis this summer, the comp pick for Amos was then tied to Davis. The Bears had originally drafted Amos, and when he signed with Green Bay, they were entitled to a compensatory pick after losing him. The pick is not guaranteed, but it’s likely.
They had hoped Mike Davis might add a layer of depth to their running game–or at least that was presumably why they signed him–but Davis was hardly utilized by coach Matt Nagy at all. In fact, Davis was primarily used on special teams when he was used at all.
Davis was with both the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks prior to his half-season stint with the Bears. He will certainly be attractive on the waiver wire. There has already been early speculation on Twitter that the Detroit Lions–the same team the Chicago Bears play Sunday–could be a decent landing spot for Davis.
Perhaps the Bears waited so long to release Davis for this reason–they didn’t want him to have loads of time to prepare with another team (see: Detroit) only to turn around and play against them. Davis never really got much of an opportunity this year in Chicago to showcase what he can do. He will very likely get that chance somewhere else very soon.
Davis would have likely stayed in Chicago had there not been a fourth round draft pick attached to his release. The Bears have zero first round selections in the next draft due to the Khalil Mack trade, and they’re in need of draft picks.
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