CHICAGO _ The Bears signed right tackle Bobby Massie to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday morning. The new deal prevents Massie from becoming an unrestricted free agent and keeps the entire first-string offense from 2018 under contract for 2019.
Massie played 99.5 percent of the offensive snaps last season, his third with the team. Financial terms of the contract extension were not immediately available.
"Bobby has been an important part of our offensive line the past three years and has shown steady improvement during that time," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said in a team statement.
"Bobby has a tremendous work ethic and has displayed the kind of toughness and consistency we want in our players. More importantly, he is a great teammate and we're excited to keep him in the fold."
Although Massie, 29, doesn't entirely erase pass rushers on his side, the Bears have come to appreciate his reliability. They know they can count on his steadiness, which stems from his strength and arm length.
The Bears' sacks-per-pass attempt ratio was 6.5 percent last season, 10th best in the NFL. They ranked 27th with 4.14 rushing yards per carry.
