Aug. 31--Tim Jennings said he saw the writing on the wall when the Chicago Bears overhauled the organization in January and then again when Alan Ball was signed in March.
A veteran that has been to two Pro Bowls never expects to be released but Jennings wasn't surprised when coach John Fox called him Sunday afternoon to deliver the news.
"Once the whole regime came in and everybody was here, I kind of knew," Jennings told the Tribune. "But they also gave me a heads up and told me I would be out there competing for a job. I had my best years here. I made two Pro Bowls. I played some good football. I had some ups and downs with injuries but for me, this is where I played my best football."
The 31-year-old Jennings underwent arthropscopic knee surgery early in the offseason but said he's fully healthy right now. The recovery did put him off to a slow start with the new coaching staff in the spring and sometimes first impressions can drive decisions.
Jennings spent ample time with the starting unit in training camp and earlier in preseason but some of that may have been because Ball and fellow veteran Tracy Porter were not healthy. On Saturday night at Cincinnati, Jennings was the sixth cornerback to get onto the field as Sherrick McManis and Terrance Mitchell got action ahead of him.
"They told me they were going to go younger," Jennings said.
Ball is 30 but the release of Jennings could create a spot for a player like Mitchell, a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys a year ago who spent nearly all of 2014 with the Bears.
Jennings' release comes 19 months after the Bears signed him to a $22.4 million, four-year extension. Jennings earned $7.5 million last season and has a guaranteed base salary of $4.4 million this year. What's not known at this point is if the contract contains an offset provision similar to language quarterback Jay Cutler has in his deal. Former general manager Phil Emery did contract extensions for Jennings, Cutler and left guard Matt Slauson at the same time in January 2014.
Jennings said he was grateful to get the news sooner rather than later from Fox to allow him to begin a search for a new team. It wasn't a surprise to everyone around the league as one pro personnel director predicted Saturday night that Jennings would be cut loose.
The Bears have also informed wide receiver Jeremy Kelley, long snapper Rick Lovato and wide receiver Levi Norwood they will be released. The team has until 3 p.m. Tuesday to reduce to a 75-man roster.
Check back for more updates.
bmbiggs@tribpub.com
