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Former Chicago Bears cornerback Desmond Trufant is signing with the New Orleans Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
There was a time not so long ago when Trufant was thought to be a potential replacement for Kyle Fuller in the team’s starting lineup, but those days are gone after the Bears released him as part of their roster cuts on August 31.
Trufant left the Bears’ training camp on August 13 to be with his family and his father, who was ill and passed away on August 15. The veteran corner remained with his family for a few weeks after the loss, and he missed key time during camp as a result. The team chose to release him instead of keeping him on despite major questions at the corner position. If he catches on and performs well with the Saints, the Bears will be kicking themselves for letting him go.
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Trufant Would Have Been Intriguing Addition for Depleted Bears Secondary
Second-year corner Jaylon Johnson is expected to be solid, but he also has to prove he can stay healthy for a full season. After Johnson, Chicago’s depth at corner is a tad scary. Names like Kindle Vildor, Xavier Crawford and Duke Shelley aren’t going to have many opposing wideouts shaking in their cleats. Having an established vet to even things out wouldn’t hurt the Bears’ secondary right now.
Trufant certainly seemed to impress coaches while he was with Chicago.
“You can see why he’s played at a high level for so long,” Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend said about Trufant, via Mark Potash of The Chicago Sun-Times. “He just adds another piece to the puzzle that makes it hard on us as coaches. He asks great questions. He understands ball. You can have good football conversations with him just because of his experience and him playing so much.”
Now, the Saints will benefit from that experience.
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Trufant Has Been Slowed By Injuries in Recent Seasons
For his part, the 6-foot-0, the 190-pound vet has played in just 15 games over the last two seasons. A former first-round pick for the Atlanta Falcons in 2013, Trufant spent seven seasons with the Dirty Birds before heading to Detroit to play for the Lions in 2020.
He had a career-high four interceptions in 2019 despite playing in just nine games after he sustained a broken arm. His best season was 2015, when he made the Pro Bowl. He had 42 tackles, an interception, 11 passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and a defensive score that year.
Over his eight-year career, Trufant has played in 103 games, and he has 14 interceptions, 83 passes defensed, six sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two touchdowns. A hamstring injury slowed him down in his lone year with the Lions, and he played in just six games in 2020.
“It was just a lingering injury for me,” Trufant said about the injury after signing with the Bears in March, per Sports Illustrated’s Gene Chamberlain. “It was just one of those years, bro. It’s hard to explain, but I’m doing different things with my recovery. I’m just training those areas: my hips, my hamstrings, just the whole pelvis area to have more strength and more durability. I’m healthy now. I’m working and grinding, so I’m looking forward and ready to make an impact.”
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