Most people expected that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was always on borrowed time in Chicago. He accepted a discounted contract in 2019 of just $3 million for a chance to play on a great defense alongside his former Alabama teammate Eddie Jackson. All things considered, the safety handled his business well. He finished with two interceptions including one for a touchdown and played every game last season.
However, the odds of him returning this year were remote. He had to start thinking about his financial future. After the Bears made Jackson the highest-paid safety in the league, there was just no way they could afford to keep Clinton-Dix long-term. So he entered the free agent market. After careful consideration the past few days, he found himself a new home.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix rejoined a familiar face
It's not hard to see why Clinton-Dix chose Dallas as his new home. Not only are they starved for safety help, they're also coached by Mike McCarthy. The same man who was head coach of the Green Bay Packers when they drafted him in the 1st round. That familiarity no doubt played a big part in a deal coming together. Some may wonder why the Bears couldn't offer Clinton-Dix a slight pay raise of $4 million.
The answer is likely that they wanted to find a more traditional strong safety. Somebody who could handle duties around the line of scrimmage akin to what Adrian Amos did. This would allow Jackson to play in his more natural role as a deep coverage guy, lurking for interception opportunities.
