Getty Chiefs WR Byron Pringle
Kansas City Chiefs free agent wide receiver Byron Pringle has signed with another team.
Pringle is getting a one-year, $6 million deal from the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal will give Pringle $4 million guaranteed, and $2 million more in incentives, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Bears are giving former Chiefs’ WR Byron Pringle a one-year, $6 million deal, including $4 million guaranteed, per @KatzBrosSports.
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Pringle, a Kansas State product, entered the NFL undrafted in 2018. He joined the Chiefs that year and would land on injured reserve following the 2018 preseason. After being cut, he landed on Kansas City’s practice squad, but was not active for any games during the 2018 regular season, per Pro Football Reference. From thereon he ascended from the bottom of the depth chart to a key piece of the Chiefs’ passing attack during the 2021 season.
Last season, Pringle had career-highs in targets (60), catches (42), receiving yards (568), and receiving touchdowns (5). The best game of his career came in Kansas City’s Week 15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he caught six passes on seven targets for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers are getting embarrassed by the Chiefs and this Byron Pringle touchdown was the cherry on top
In three games during the postseason, Pringle recorded 12 catches for 82 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came yet again during a win over the Steelers, this time in the Wild-Card round.
Now, Pringle will play for the Bears, who have former Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their general manager, and 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields as their quarterback.
Pringle should qualify as a compensatory pick for the Chiefs in 2023.
What’s Next for Chiefs at WR?
With Pringle now signing elsewhere in the NFL, the Chiefs wide receivers that are locked up for the 2022 season are Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Daurice Fountain, Gehrig Dieter, Cornell Powell, Justin Watson, Chris Finke, Gary Jennings, Matthew Sexton, and Omar Bayless. Hill, Hardman, Gordon, and Fountain are the only players that were active for a Chiefs game last season. Demarcus Robinson, another depth piece on Kansas City’s active roster last season, is an unrestricted free agent.
Former Bears wideout Allen Robinson signed with the Los Angeles Rams, and former Arizona Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, the Chiefs missed out on potentially signing either one of those talented pass-catchers during free agency.
Among the talented veterans that remain free agents through March 17 are Jarvis Landry, Juju Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr., and Julio Jones. Cole Beasley was released by the Buffalo Bills on March 17, so he is also eligible to sign with any team as well.
Heading into free agency, the Chiefs were roughly $10.6 million over the cap, according to Over The Cap. However, the front office restructured defensive end Frank Clark’s contract, which lowered his cap number from $23.2 million to $13.7 million, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. That in turn freed up $12.6 million in cap room for Kansas City, per Yates.
Under terms of his restructured deal with the Chiefs, Frank Clark’s 2022 cap number is now $13.7M.
Kansas City freed up $12.6M in cap space with the move.
Simple math shows that the Chiefs don’t have very much spending money. However, giving Hill a contract extension, which the team is “deep in talks” about, according to NFL Media’s Rapoport, would free up more money, among other potential cap maneuvers.
Twitter Reacts to Pringle Signing With Bears
Twitter users reacted to Pringle signing with Chicago.
“Byron Pringle is who I wanted as a second tier guy. Could put up solid numbers with more opportunities,” one Twitter user wrote.
Byron Pringle is who I wanted as a second tier guy. Could put up solid numbers with more opportunities.
“If poles thinks signing Byron Pringle is enough to help the receiver room. The bears are doomed,” another Twitter user wrote.
If poles thinks signing Byron Pringle is enough to help the receiver room. The bears are doomed
“Byron Pringle went 42-568-5 and came up big in some clutch moments… Compare his contract to some of the other FA WRs this cycle and feel good about how Poles & Co. are operating… Excited to see Pringle in a #Bears uni this season!” another user wrote.
Byron Pringle went 42-568-5 and came up big in some clutch moments… Compare his contract to some of the other FA WRs this cycle and feel good about how Poles & Co. are operating… Excited to see Pringle in a #Bears uni this season!