The Seattle Seahawks signed four new offensive linemen in the first week of free agency, likely signaling the end of tackle Germain Ifedi’s tenure with the team.
That became a reality on Wednesday morning, when NFL Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that Ifedi is signing a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears.
Terms of the contract were not announced.
Ifedi may get a chance to play some guard in Chicago. He played guard early in his career with the Seahawks, but spent the past few seasons exclusively as a right tackle – his more natural position.
A fresh start will be good for both Ifedi and the Seahawks. Ifedi’s tendency to get called for penalties and his poor performance as a pass blocker had worn out his welcome with many Seattle fans, and it allows the team to explore one of their newcomers – likely Brandon Shell or Cedric Ogbuehi – as a starter next season, if they don’t find a potential starter in the 2020 NFL draft.
Ifedi was a first round pick by the Seahawks in 2016, and will head to his first new team in the NFL after Seattle did not pick up his fifth-year option, which would have paid him $10.3 million in 2020.
