Earlier today, the NFL Network's insider, Ian Rapoport, reported that the Chicago Bears were releasing kicker Cody Parkey. The move will be made official at the start of the new league year.
This doesn't surprise anyone -- the city of Chicago and NFL fans across the league have expected this since Parkey's "double doink" against Philadelphia in the Wild Card Round. To put icing on the so-called cake, Parkey then went on NBC's The Today Show five days later to talk about the missed kick, a move that head coach Matt Nagy expressed displeasure about at the Bears' season-ending press conference. So, now that the inevitable news is out, I have a few thoughts on Parkey and the Bears' kicking situation as a whole as we get closer to the new league year...
Thoughts
1. Though the Bears-Cody Parkey marriage had to end early, amidst all the negativeness surrounding this situation, let's not forget that the signing last offseason was not without merit. Parkey is a former Pro Bowler, as Rapoport mentions in his tweet. He's had plenty of success in his career and is a talented kicker. This was just a bad year for him and it spiraled out of control at the end. It just didn't work out. It happens, and he will certainly find work in 2019 and beyond.I have jokes, I know. 2. I still can't get over 11 misses overall and five 'doinked' kicks. I really can't. Like, holy hell. How? 3. Releasing Parkey early means the Bears are still on the hook for $3.5M that's still guaranteed to him, and they'll spend more money to find his replacement. But it's a prudent move, and a fair one, as it gives Parkey a chance to find his next team earlier than anticipated. 4. As my Sports Mockery colleague, Erik Lambert, mentions in this article, the Bears sent an important message by leaking news of his release early. Nagy and Ryan Pace both hinted (strongly) at the presser that Parkey was essentially a bust and that his appearance on national television was a "Me" thing rather than a "We" thing. This regime didn't tolerate it. And I'm here for it. 5. After Parkey is released, the only Bears' kicker under contract is Redford Jones. There's no way the Bears will head into training camp and other offseason activities with just Jones under contract. They will surely add multiple kickers for competition as we move forward here. I expect them to bring in kickers from the journeyman free agency list and perhaps some undrafted free agents as competition. Hell, they should spend a draft pick on a kicker. This position is still the biggest weakness on the roster -- which is amazing and annoying at the same time. That said, they NEED to get this right. 6. And speaking of getting this right, while I'd love to see Robbie Gould on the Bears again (and it seems Gould would love to be back as well), it's not likely to happen. San Francisco has plenty of cap space to absorb a franchise tag for him (a roughly $5M cap hit) if they can't work out a long term deal. And why would they let one of the best kickers in NFL history leave without a robust contingency plan? The answer: They wouldn't.
