Bears To Re-Sign WR Dante Pettis
Dante Pettis missed last season due to injury. Since the wideout last played, the Bears have changed offensive coordinators and are likely to change quarterbacks. But the veteran pass catcher will have another chance.
The Bears are re-signing Pettis to a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin tweets. The former 49ers second-round pick played an auxiliary role for the 2022 Bears. He will join a receiving corps that now includes Keenan Allen, whom the team acquired late Thursday night.
Pettis re-signed in 2023 but opened training camp on the Bears’ non-football injury list; he was not activated until August. Chicago then shuttled the veteran backup, who had served as a part-time starter for a receiver-thin 2022 Bears edition, to IR. That ended Pettis’ season. Even with Luke Getsy gone, the team will give Pettis another shot.
Pettis did not stick in San Francisco, and he did not exceed 110 receiving yards in a season from 2019-21. The Bears took a flier on him during a 2022 offseason in which they added a few receivers — Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, N’Keal Harry among the others — on low-cost short-term deals. Pettis caught 19 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns that season.
The Bears now have Allen and D.J. Moore atop their receiver depth chart, and another addition early in the draft could be in play for a team that will be ready to supply Caleb Williams with weapons. The team added Gerald Everett to pair with Cole Kmet this week, while acquiring pass-catching back D’Andre Swift. At wide receiver, the likes of Tyler Scott and Velus Jones reside as Chicago’s tertiary options presently.
Chargers Trade Keenan Allen To Bears
The Chargers’ cap crunch has forced the team to move on from their longest-tenured player. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chargers are dealing wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Bears. FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer was first with the news.
Los Angeles will receive a fourth-round pick in return. Per Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the Chargers are receiving the earliest of the Bears’ two fourth-round picks (No. 110).
With the Chargers needing to clear $27MM to reach cap compliance, eyes immediately focused on their four massive cap hits: Allen, Mike Williams, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa. The front office put in extra work yesterday before the mandatory cap deadline, releasing Williams and reworking the contracts of both Mack and Bosa. Those three transactions didn’t mark the end of their efforts, however.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers approached Allen about taking a pay cut today. The receiver refused, and the organization promptly dealt the player to Chicago. The wideout is attached to a $34MM-plus cap hit in 2024, and on top of his $18MM-plus base salary, he’s due more than $5MM via a roster bonus this month. Allen is still attached to a four-year, $80.1MM extension he signed with the Chargers back in 2020.
Even while the Chargers’ cap sheet continued to be untenable following yesterday’s machinations, an Allen trade is still a shocking development. When asked last month about his future in Los Angeles, the receiver definitively stated he’d be back with the team in 2024. And as the organization navigated their impending cap crunch, reports indicated that the veteran wideout was the safest among the team’s four highest-paid players.
Instead, Allen’s tenure with the organization will end after 11 seasons. The receiver wasn’t able to catch former tight end Antonio Gates‘ many receiving records, but Allen will still leave the organization ranked second in receptions (904) and receiving yards (10,530) and third in touchdown receptions (59). The former third-round pick earned six Pro Bowl nods throughout his career with the Chargers, and he’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in five of his last seven seasons. This includes a 2023 campaign where the 31-year-old hauled in a career-high 108 catches for 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
After acquiring D.J. Moore last offseason, the Bears are making another splashy move at the position. The expectation is that the Bears will trade Justin Fields and select USC’s Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick, and they’re certainly preparing the incoming rookie for success. The Bears have also added running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett to the offense, providing their 2024 quarterback with plenty of worthy targets.
Regardless of who is under center next season, it shouldn’t take long for Allen to get acclimated. New Bears receivers coach Chris Beatty spent the previous three seasons with the Chargers, so the coaching staff surely knows what they have in the veteran acquisition.
Things aren’t nearly as rosy in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert has watched as his top two receivers (Allen, Williams), his top tight end (Everett), and his top running back (Austin Ekeler) have all left the organization this past week. The Chargers did use a first-round pick on Quentin Johnston last year, and the organization will surely be banking on a big season from the second-year pro. The Chargers are also armed with the fifth-overall pick in the draft. That might not be enough to draft someone like Marvin Harrison Jr., but the organization should still be able to snag one of the draft’s other elite WR prospects.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: WR KhaDarel Hodge, OL Storm Norton
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: S Ar’Darius Washington
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OT Jake Curhan
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: DB C.J. Goodwin
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: LB Kristian Welch
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: RB Trey Sermon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: DT Tershawn Wharton
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Jody Fortson, DL Jonathan Harris
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Trent Sherfield
New York Jets
- Re-signed: OL Jake Hanson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LS Christian Kuntz
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: LB Jack Gibbens
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LB Anthony Pittman
Bears Sign C Coleman Shelton
The Rams expressed interest in keeping Coleman Shelton, but their interior offensive line blueprint changed via two big-ticket guard contracts. As a result, Shelton will collect some cash elsewhere.
Shelton signed a one-year contract with the Bears on Thursday. While Chicago was a candidate — due to cap space and the likelihood of Caleb Williams’ rookie contract helping the cause — to splurge for a center. But Lloyd Cushenberry went to the Titans; the Raiders retained Andre James. While Connor Williams remains unsigned, the Bears will go with Shelton, who is going into his age-29 season.
A Rams backup until the Austin Corbett free agency defection opened a guard spot, Shelton worked as an interior starter in Los Angeles for most of the past two seasons. After opening last season as a guard, Shelton became the team’s full-time center last season. He beat out former starter Brian Allen for the gig. The former UDFA started all 18 games for the Rams last year, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 17th-best center.
L.A.’s offseason blueprint hinged on guards, and the team joined the Panthers in spending big to fortify that position in a deep market. The Rams re-signed Kevin Dotson on a $16MM-per-year deal and inked Jonah Jackson on a three-year, $51MM pact. Although Shelton’s terms are not known, the Rams already have three veteran contracts — counting longtime right tackle Rob Havenstein‘s — on their starting O-line.
The Bears have struggled at center in recent years. Their plan to move Cody Whitehair back to center did not last, and PFF ranked Lucas Patrick 30th at the position. With the rest of Chicago’s O-line seemingly in place, the team will see about Shelton at center ahead of the draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/24
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, OL Matt Pryor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tony Brown, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Re-signed: P Corey Bojorquez
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT David Sharpe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: LB Caleb Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: RB Salvon Ahmed
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DL Kevin Givens
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Nick Harris
- Re-signed: CB Artie Burns
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: RB Julius Chestnut
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: S Jeremy Reaves
Bears Sign QB Brett Rypien
Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent remain on the Bears’ roster, with the draft expected to be used to bring in the team’s next starter. The Bears are also adding another veteran arm.
Brett Rypien signed a one-year deal with the Bears on Tuesday. Rypien spent time with new Bears OC Shane Waldron in Seattle last season. This will be team No. 4 for Rypien over the past six months.
The Rams rostered Rypien for the season’s first half, bringing in the former Broncos backup just after the draft. Following a rough start in Green Bay, however, Rypien received his walking papers ahead of the Rams’ Carson Wentz addition. The Seahawks then added the veteran to their practice squad, which preceded a Jets late-season poaching. The middle stint is the most relevant to Rypien’s latest move.
Waldron resided as the Seahawks’ OC last season, and Rypien spent nearly a month on the team’s P-squad. While that is a brief cameo even by NFL standards, it does appear Waldron liked enough about Rypien’s form. A Denver backup for four years prior to the three-city 2023 odyssey, Rypien stands to be a factor for the Bears’ second- or third-string job once the offseason program begins.
Chicago is widely expected to draft Caleb Williams first overall. Unlike other QBs being considered in Round 1, the 2022 Heisman winner should not be expected to be stashed as a developmental project. With Williams ticketed for the QB1 role, the Bears are almost certain to trade Fields. That said, the three-year Chicago starter’s market has not taken off like the team hoped. A brief Raiders connection fizzled, and given that Luke Getsy coached Fields for two seasons, Las Vegas’ Gardner Minshew payment (two years, $25MM, $15MM guaranteed) probably matters with regards to the QB’s trade value.
Once connected to fetching Chicago a potential Day 2 pick and perhaps more, Fields may no longer be likely to generate such compensation. The Bears are standing pat for the time being, though Fields should not be expected to be on their 2024 roster. That could leave Rypien and Bagent in a competition behind Williams.
Bears To Sign S Jonathan Owens
After a season in Green Bay, Jonathan Owens observed the Packers give Xavier McKinney a monster contract. A day later, Owens is committing to join the team’s top rival.
The Bears are bringing in Owens, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. While best known as Simone Biles’ husband, Owens has become a safety regular after starting his career as a special-teamer from the Division II ranks. He has worked as a starter for most of the past two seasons. Owens will sign a two-year deal worth $4.5MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
This contract would suggest the Bears are eyeing Owens for a depth role. Chicago agreed to terms with Kevin Byard recently, and 2022 second-round pick Jaquan Brisker remains in place. Although Owens started 28 games over the past two seasons — with the Texans and Packers — Pro Football Focus has graded him as a lower-end safety. That said, Owens made 125 tackles with the Texans in 2022 and notched a fumble-six with the Packers last year.
Using Owens as a starter in 11 games last season and both their playoff contests, the Packers gave McKinney a four-year, $68MM contract to help shore up the position. McKinney is now tied to the NFL’s third-most lucrative safety deal. The Bears recently shed their high-end safety contract — Eddie Jackson‘s — but will spend a bit extra to acquire an experienced backup.
Biles Soldier Field cameos can probably be expected, as the former Olympic champion made regular Lambeau Field appearances. Even if Owens is destined for a backup role in Chicago, he will make more than he did last season ($1MM). Undrafted out of Missouri Western, the 28-year-old defender has a runway to push his career to the eight-year mark.
D.J. Wonnum To Visit Panthers, Bears
The Vikings appear poised to lose one starting edge rusher in Danielle Hunter, having made a lucrative commitment to Jonathan Greenard. Hunter’s edge partner could also soon be leaving Minnesota. 
D.J. Wonnum has a free agent visit lined up with the Panthers for tomorrow, Sheena Quick of 1340AM reports. That will be followed one day later by a visit with the Bears, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Hunter has far more in the way of pedigree than Wonnum, but the latter could be set to cash in on a new deal soon.
A fourth-round pick in 2020, Wonnum has alternated between notable and complementary production. In the 2021 season, he took on a starting role for the first time and recorded eight sacks. His playing time dropped considerably the following year, though, and he saw his production fall off. A return to first-team duties ensued for 2023, and Wonnum responded by again posting eight sacks with 21 QB pressures.
The 26-year-old could thus generate a notable market for his services on a second contract. Carolina has a massive need along the edge with Brian Burns having been traded to the Giants. The Panthers have a visit lined up with Chase Young, although they are not alone in that regard.
Carolina ranked last in the league in sacks in 2023, and Chicago finished 31st. The Bears made a major move aimed at addressing their pass-rushing problems at the trade deadline, though acquiring Montez Sweat from the Commanders. He was quickly handed a monster extension, giving Chicago one foundational player on the edge. More additions could be coming, and with just over $57.5MM in cap space the Bears could outbid the Panthers or most other teams in any potential Wonnum pursuit. It will be interesting to see how many other suitors show interest in this situation.
Bears To Sign TE Gerald Everett
As the Bears assemble what will almost certainly be their first Caleb Williams-directed offense, they are adding a second tight end for the likely No. 1 pick to target. Gerald Everett will commit to Chicago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.
Everett has bounced around since his Rams rookie contract expired, but teams have continually sought the former second-round pick as a starter. The recent Chargers and Seahawks pass catcher will be in place behind Cole Kmet in Chicago.
Despite the Bears extending Kmet last year, they are devoting some notable funds to their complementary TE post. Everett’s deal is for two years and $12MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds the veteran will receive $6.1MM fully guaranteed. Kmet is signed to a four-year, $50MM extension.
The Bears lost Darnell Mooney to a big Falcons deal earlier today, and while the team is still determining its WR2 plan, it will soon carry a solid one-two TE punch.
Everett, 29, spent the past two seasons in Los Angeles — for the exact terms he signed for in Chicago (2/12) — and totaled 966 receiving yards and seven touchdowns working with Justin Herbert (and some lesser QBs to close last season). With Herbert at the controls throughout 2022, Everett tallied 58 catches for 555 yards.
This Chicago agreement will likely come about because of new OC Shane Waldron‘s history with the South Alabama alum. Waldron was with the Rams when the team drafted him, working as Everett’s position coach in 2017, and throughout his rookie-contract duration. Everett later followed Waldron to Seattle, playing one season there — Waldron’s first as Seahawks OC — in 2021. Set to be Chicago’s new play-caller, Waldron will have a pretty good idea of Everett’s strengths and weaknesses in the scheme the veteran assistant will implement.
Raiders Considering Justin Fields Trade?
With the Falcons acquiring Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields does not have a clear option to continue his starter career. Though, a team thought to be out may be considering an addition.
The Raiders were believed to be kicking the tires on a Fields-Luke Getsy reunion, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. With the Falcons out of the mix, the Bears may need to bring down their asking price. Although Chicago wanted to deal Fields before free agency, his market has hit a snag.
An example of how fast free agency moves, the Raiders have now agreed to a deal with Gardner Minshew. The Silver and Black are signing Minshew to a two-year agreement. This stands to keep the Fields trail cold. With the Falcons and now likely the Raiders out of the mix, it is worth wondering how the Bears will proceed here.
The Bears did not find the kind of Fields market they hoped for. With the team zeroing in on Caleb Williams, Fields may soon see his 2023 development lead to a demotion. The Raiders, Falcons and Steelers have gone with other options, and the QB-needy Broncos are not expected to be interested in a player who would certainly be an upgrade on Jarrett Stidham. Considering Sean Payton‘s actions with Russell Wilson, it would be unlikely he signs off on Fields running his offense.
Fields also would not seem a fit for Kevin O’Connell‘s offense, and a Bears-Vikings trade would be unlikely. Though, the Drew Bledsoe and Donovan McNabb trades show intra-divisional QB swaps are not out of the question. It will be interesting to see where the Bears go from here, as it does not sound like they are in line to obtain much for their three-year starter at this point.