Anthony Miller is heading to Texas.
The former 2nd-round pick for the Chicago Bears was the subject of trade rumors for months this spring. The talk of Miller leaving the Windy City had tamed a bit, but now, the deal is done, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Chicago is shipping Miller off to the Houston Texans in exchange for a late-round draft pick, which has yet to be named. A Day 3 pick in return is the likeliest scenario.
The Bears moved up to select Miller in the second round of the 2018 draft (51st overall), but inconsistent play — both from Miller and at the quarterback position — prevented the receiver from ever breaking out. The wideout’s ejection in the playoffs last season in the Bears’ loss to the New Orleans Saints may have been his last straw in Chicago.
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Miller’s Last Game in Chicago Was a Forgettable One
Miller was ejected for punching Saints defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the Wild Card game, an incident that occurred after Miller and the rest of the team were told not to touch Gardner-Johnson specifically, as another Bears receiver, Javon Wims, had been ejected in the regular season for tangling with the Saints DB. Miller’s ejection peeved team chairman George McCaskey, who went on ESPN 1000’s “Waddle & Silvy” and said this about the fourth-year wide receiver:
“I have a bigger problem with Anthony’s ejection because they sat him down and they told him, ‘Listen, watch out for this player. He’s a punk. He’s going to try to get under your skin. And with Darnell Mooney out, we really need you to be in this game and help this team,’ ” McCaskey said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “And Anthony had the benefit of having seen Javon’s experience. I think they need to be evaluated separately. I’ve got a bigger problem with Anthony’s ejection than I do Javon’s.”
Bears HC Matt Nagy Recently Stumped for Miller
After Miller had been called out by team ownership and wide receivers coach Mike Furrey, Bears head coach Matt Nagy defended the wideout:
“He’s super motivated to have a great offseason and training camp and control what he can control,” Nagy said about Miller. “But I know that that was kind of a big deal the other day and I just wanted to kind of try to clear that up and say that Anthony has been doing a hell of a job and he’s going to compete with the rest of these guys including Dazz Newsome,” Nagy said about Miller in May.
It looks like second-year wideout Mooney, who had a promising debut season last year, could see a larger role in the Bears offense than we initially expected, as could rookie Newsome.
Miller had 134 catches for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns over his first three seasons with the Bears, and now, he’ll get a fresh start with the Texans. The Bears will clear about $1.2 million in cap space with the move. For his part, the wideout gave a thank you and a goodbye to Chicago on his social media pages, confirming his exit.
Thank You Chicago 🧡
Houston Let’s Get It!!!!!!!🔋🔋🔋🔋
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Bears Trade Former 2nd-Round Pick to AFC Team