One of the lone bright spots in a rough season for the Bears was wideout Alshon Jeffery. Though he missed seven games last season, he caught 54 passes for 804 yards and four touchdowns. With the Bears already letting long time running back Matt Forte loose, it would be a surprise to see Jeffery also leave Chicago. However, his return is not the fait accompli it was thought to be.
#Bears tidbit: Assumption has been they'll tag WR Alshon Jeffery. I'm told no decision has been made & there's a chance he hits the market
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 19, 2016
If Jeffery was tagged, he would earn $14.5 million this season. The Bears have until March 1 to place the franchise tag on the potentially elite wideout if they so choose. The Bears don’t have much depth at the position, but they will get last year’s first round pick Kevin White back, who missed all of last season due to a shin fracture that required surgery in August.
Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times notes:
But to say that Jeffery doesn’t like his situation at Halas Hall would be untrue. He has a rapport with Cutler and was very passionate about the Bears’ win against the Packers on Thanksgiving, which included dancing with Fox in the locker room. Fox also tabbed Jeffery to give one of the pregame speeches this season. It’s also a good sign that Jeffery is training with Jay Glazer in California. Glazer, an insider for Fox Sports and a close friend of Fox’s, runs a mixed-martial-arts training center.
The likelihood of Jeffery leaving Chicago is still quite small, but now there’s just a sliver of doubt. Still, the odds are that the Bears won’t lose another cornerstone piece of their offense this offseason, but you can never call anything a guarantee.
