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It looks like the Chicago Bears have just found a potential replacement for All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller — bot that Fuller can be replaced. Per NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Bears are signing former Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions corner Desmond Trufant to a one-year deal. The Falcons picked Trufant in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he spent his first seven seasons in Atlanta before heading to Detroit for a disappointing 2020 campaign.
While Fuller has been the epitome of durability, Trufant has not — at least not lately. He has played in only 15 games over the last two seasons, missing 10 games in his lone year with the Lions due to a nagging hamstring injury. He missed seven games after breaking his forearm the year before that. The 6-0, 190-pound corner has talent, but his durability will be the primary issue moving forward.
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Desmond Trufant Stats: What Can the Bears & Their Fans Expect?
Trufant, who at 30-years-old is a year older than Fuller, stayed on the field for 15 or more games in five of his first six seasons before the injury bug bit him over the last two. He had a career high four interceptions in 2019, which was impressive because he did it in nine games. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015, when he had one pick, 11 passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and a defensive score. Over his eight-year career, Trufant has played in 103 games, netting 14 interceptions, 83 passes defensed, six sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two touchdowns.
Trufant comes from a football family. His brother Marcus spent 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, and his other brother Isaiah spent some time with the New York Jets.
He’s not short on talent, and when healthy, he can be a solid contributor. There’s no way he’ll fill Fuller’s shoes, however.
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Bears Will Be Losing One of NFL’s Most Reliable Corners in Fuller
While both Trufant and Fuller are talented former first-round picks, Fuller has been far more durable, and he has been far more pesky in coverage. In six seasons with the Bears, Fuller started 94 games, missing just one season with a knee injury in 2016. A two-time Pro Bowl selection in 2018-19, Fuller was also a first-team All-Pro in 2018.
In his six years with the Bears, Fuller has 19 interceptions, 82 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and six tackles for loss. The Bears will miss his leadership and durability, and they’re also losing out on one of the hardest working defensive backs in the NFL. A student of the game, Fuller has been known to study film at all hours of the day, regardless of what else he has been tasked with.
“I don’t have anything else to do, so when I’m eating, I’ll just bring my iPad with me,” Fuller told the Chicago Tribune back in 2018. “I’ll watch it if I go out to eat sometimes or if I’m in the hot tub or in a meeting or at home on the couch, wherever.”
Now, some lucky team is going to benefit from his hard work.
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