The Chicago Bears haven’t exactly had an ideal offseason so far. After an attempt to trade for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson fell through, Chicago had to settle for Andy Dalton, which didn’t sit well with fans.
But things got much worse with the release of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Kyle Fuller, which left fans fuming.
While the move was made with intent — to clear up $11 million in salary cap space with Fuller set to make $20 million in 2021 — it’s also a move that many feel didn’t need to happen.
GM Ryan Pace has dug himself into a hole after a few years of contract restructures and pushing money to the future, banking on his team succeeding with a quarterback on a rookie deal. But despite two playoff appearances in the last three years, that success didn’t translate.
It didn’t take long for Fuller to find a new home with the Denver Broncos, where he reunites with former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, where Fuller had his best season in 2018.
Now, Chicago finds themselves in a position where they need to fill the shoes of arguably the most reliable defensive back over the last few years. All because Pace’s decisions with the salary cap finally caught up with him.
With the Bears’ frenzied offseason, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG) and myself discussed the shocking release of Fuller, Chicago’s free agency moves and more in our latest episode.
You can listen to our new episode below:
You can catch all episodes on Apple Podcasts or your podcast service of choice every Thursday.
