Chicago Bears fans aren't sure how to feel about Alshon Jeffery these days. The former Pro Bowl wide receiver just got done winning a Super Bowl with another team. That's always a tough pill to swallow, seeing another organization reap the rewards of your hard work. Some are happy for him, glad to see him finally win. Others see him as a traitor who lied his way out of town.
Per usual situations such as this are never so black and white. It was clear by the spring of 2017 that Jeffery wasn't going to get re-signed. He'd dodged extension talks for over a year and the Bears weren't going to franchise tag him for a second time. He wanted out and so they let him leave. It certainly worked out for him. Not so much for the Bears.
Their wide receiver position was beset by misfortune not long after he left. Cameron Meredith tore his ACL. Kevin White broke his scapula. Markus Wheaton suffered a myriad of injuries. It was a mess. This left people wondering. Where did the Alshon situation go so wrong? Could it have been prevented?
Alshon Jeffery exodus likely stoked by John Fox
In truth, the Jeffery exit probably began as far back as 2015. That was when the Bears decided to trade his teammate and best friend Brandon Marshall to the Jets. The move itself wasn't viewed as a huge surprise given Marshall's reputation for dividing locker rooms. Even so, Jeffery wasn't happy about it. Though it was a team decision, a source informed me the driving force behind the move was head coach John Fox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ-xfLDRg1A
Fox is known for wanting stable locker rooms, so it's not a surprise he'd view someone like Marshall as a threat. Unfortunately making the push for that move didn't get him off on the right foot with Jeffery and their relationship deteriorated fast from there.
"In his last year (2016), Jeffery butted heads with Fox CONSTANTLY all season."
Apparently, it got so heated at one point that Jay Cutler had to step in to separate the two. Considering the fact that Chicago jettisoned Cutler after the 2016 season ended, one has to wonder if this might've had something to do with that decision. Neither Fox nor Jeffery have mentioned what happened. One thing is for sure. Something compelled the wide receiver to practically force his way out of town.
Disdain for the head coach would certainly qualify.
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