Getty Eddie Jackson of the Chicago Bears hits Zach Ertz
This may be the understatement of the offseason so far, but all is not well for the Chicago Bears. After knowing they needed to fix the most important position in sports for nearly a year now, Bears general manager Ryan Pace and company have managed to sign both Nick Foles and Andy Dalton to bloated contracts while failing to be either smart or patient when looking for a capable signal-caller to lead the offense.
Now, with the Bears reportedly releasing All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller if they can’t trade him first, and fan-favorite Akiem Hicks also rumored to be on the trade block, several Bears players are apparently growing increasingly frustrated with the current state of things.
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Bears Have Had One Disastrous Offseason So Far
So far for Chicago, this offseason specifically seems to be filled with one disaster after another: First, there was the much-maligned end of the season presser, in which team President Ted Phillips, Chairman George McCaskey, Pace and head coach Matt Nagy came across as wooden and clueless in their respective defenses of the mediocrity seen since Pace’s arrival as GM in 2013 (the Bears have had one winning season in that span).
Then, instead of extending their best offensive player in Allen Robinson, the team apparently didn’t speak to him about an extension and instead slapped the franchise tag on him when they knew it would please neither the player nor the fans. Football is a business, to be sure, but extending Robinson is good business, and instead of reading about his extension, there have been a smattering of rather insignificant signings:
Glad to hear that both Akiem Hicks and Kyle Fuller are on the trade block so the #Bears could sign Andy Dalton and keep Germain Ifedi.
If they’re going to trade away top talent, why not just commit fully to a rebuild? Their financial priorities are out of whack.
Next came the Russell Wilson rumors, which, while still a pipe dream and never realistic, were poorly handled and managed by Pace specifically, as he and Nagy failed to exercise patience for the second straight offseason when it comes to the quarterback position. On the heels of reports the Seahawks had rejected the Bears trade offer (which, when considering the need for a splash, was arguably too small, with three first-round picks, two third-rounders and a few players the rumored offer), the Bears then seemingly panicked. Again.
They signed Dalton — who has been told he’s the starter, by the way — to a $10 million deal after he made $3 million last season as a backup in Dallas. They followed that wildly unpopular move with another baffling one: They’re parting ways with Fuller, who is one of the most respected leaders on the defense. With rumors that Hicks is also potentially on his way out, several members of the team weren’t happy.
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Multiple Bears Players Rumored to Be ‘Pissed’
While he’s not with the team anymore, as Chicago didn’t offer him a new deal, All-Pro returner Cordarrelle Patterson took the team to task for using its salary cap as.an excuse to get rid of Fuller and Hicks or to not re-sign certain other key players.
Stop using the “CAP” space as an excuse!!!!
If a MF team wants you. They will get you!!! Simple as that!!!
All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson also chimed in with a since-deleted Tweet, and apparently, other players aren’t happy with the current state of things. According to Chris Emma of 670 The Score, multiple “key” Bears players are upset about what has been transpiring at Halas Hall in the last week alone. Per Emma:
Upon learning of Fuller’s impending exit and the possibility that Hicks could be out too, the Bears had several key players who were ‘pissed,’ as one source close to the team described. Star safety Eddie Jackson, who recently restructured his contract with the hope of keeping a teammate like Fuller in Chicago, tweeted his frustration after the news of Fuller’s future became public. ‘At this point,’ Jackson tweeted with a face-palming emoji. He later deleted the tweet.
Yes, Jackson deleted it and then tried to backpedal a bit later in the evening, but screenshots live forever:
It’s clear the Bears are a team in flux right now, with bad decisions being tossed around like birdseed at Halas Hall. If things keep going this way — or even if they stay the way they are now — the Bears and their fans are in for one long 2021.
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