ESPN Hints Bears Didn't Even Try To Re-Sign Alshon Jeffery

The Alshon Jeffery Bears divorce was the low point of the 2017 offseason for Chicago. He was the only proven target the team had left in the passing game. Both Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett had been traded and GM Ryan Pace has yet to prove capable of replacing either of them. Kevin White can't stay healthy, nor can Zach Miller. It's unclear where things went wrong between the mercurial wide receiver and the front office. Most assume it was about money. Jeffery believed he was worth a certain amount, near the top five receivers in the NFL. However, after missing 11 games in two years the Bears felt he hadn't shown that same level of reliability. Fans still held out hope the two sides could work something out. Then Alshon signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a moment made worse by the information from MMQB hinting Jeffery contacted insider Adam Schefter to find out what the other receivers on the market were making. It was validation that it had always been about the money with him. Then again, the Bears may have made his decision easy.

Alshon Jeffery Bears divorce likely a manipulated move?

The thing about divorces is it involves two sides. Jeffery may have wanted out because of money issues, but then again the Bears may not have tried hard enough to work something out. In fact according to ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson, it's possible they didn't try at all.

"Move I didn’t like: Letting Alshon Jeffery walk away in free agency. The Bears have nothing but question marks at wide receiver. Kevin White -- the seventh overall pick in 2015 -- has played in only four regular-season games. Markus Wheaton missed most of last year with an injury. Kendall Wright is coming off his worst season in the NFL. Cameron Meredith -- the most productive Chicago receiver in 2016 -- hurt his thumb during OTAs. Victor Cruz can play, but he hasn’t been the same player since his knee injury three seasons ago. The Bears’ decision to not even attempt to re-sign Jeffery remains a head-scratcher -- especially after spending so much at quarterback."

That's certainly an eye-opener, and says a lot if it's even close to true. It was speculated for over a year that Pace might not be as high on Jeffery as others. For starters he wasn't a player the GM drafted. He also hadn't demonstrated that same Pro Bowl ability since Marshall left. Throw in the persistent injury issues and one can understand why Pace might've soured on him. At the same time the same goes for Jeffery. One got the impression he wasn't happy in Chicago. The team was losing and his best friend on the team, Marshall, had been traded. A move he clearly did not approve of. So when the contract negotiations strung out for longer than expected, it became increasingly clear that either he wanted out or they wanted him out. Seem it might've been both.