The Bears followed through on their promise to proactively address their kicking woes, signing a new face Friday after a workout at Halas Hall.
The team is adding kicker Redford Jones, according to his agency, EnterSports Management. At Tulsa University, Jones made 169 of 172 extra points and 50 of 67 field goals from 2015-17.
Earlier Friday, the Bears held a workout for six kickers, including Jones and, sources confirmed, veteran Nick Folk, who played for the Cowboys and Jets from 2007-16 before kicking in four games for the Buccaneers in 2017.
Entering Friday, Cody Parkey was the only kicker on the Bears roster. His return seems unlikely; he missed 11 kicks in his first season with the Bears, including a 43-yard double-doink that would have beaten the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. His appearance on the “Today” show five days later rankled coach Matt Nagy, who said it wasn’t a team-first move.
Worth noting: in 2016 against Cincinnati, Jones made a 24-yard kick that bounced off the left upright, and then the right one, and then went through.
Earlier this month, general manager Ryan Pace vowed to upgrade the position, despite the Bears taking on a $5.2 million cap hit if they released Parkey without a June 1 designation.
“That position is an emphasis for us,” Pace said. “We understand we need to get better, get more production out of that position. Matt talks about it all the time: There’s so much parity in our league, so many close games, the kicker position is critical.”
The Bears likely aren’t done looking at kickers. Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould will become a free agent, and might be the most attractive free agent on the market after making 33 of 34 field goals for the 49ers last season. The 49ers hope to re-sign him, though. General manager John Lynch said at the Senior Bowl that the two sides were talking.
