Kyle Fuller Has a Strategy Regarding Bears Contract Talks

Based on how the winds are blowing, it's clear the Chicago Bears and cornerback Kyle Fuller are mutually interested in a long-term contract. GM Ryan Pace stated at the scouting combine that the dialogue between the two sides has been "pretty aggressive." This would seem to indicate that the team is serious about locking up their former first round pick. People like to compare this situation to Alshon Jeffery. Except they're nothing alike. Fuller is coming off the best season of his career where he had two interceptions and 22 passes defended. Jeffery battled injury in 2016 and also got suspended for PED violations. He also didn't want to stay in Chicago and later information soon revealed. According to Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly, the growing sentiment is that's not the case with Fuller. He wants to stay in Chicago. At the same time, he isn't stupid. This might be his best opportunity to land top NFL money and doesn't plan to waste it.

Kyle Fuller ready to play contract chicken with Bears

"Free agent cornerback Kyle Fuller very much wants to stay with the Chicago Bears and intends to do all he can to make that happen... ...The way I’m hearing it, Fuller is uncertain right now whether the Bears will use the franchise tag on him or not, but the suspicion is that they won’t. If they don’t, his plan is to test free agency, find out what his market value is and then do everything he can to get that money from the Bears and stay where he is."

This is a smart tactic by Fuller. By playing this down to the wire he's trying to force the Bears' hand, getting them to up their offer as high as they dare. If he's still not satisfied, he can test the market. If no other team blows that offer away, then he knows that's the best he'll get and can return to Chicago, having gotten the absolute most money he could hope for. This is similar to what happened with Lance Briggs back in 2008. The Bears let him get feelers out on the market. When he got his information back, he chose to sign a six-year extension to stay with the team. There's definitely some risk involved for Chicago. It involves trust that Fuller is telling the truth and he wants to stay. Still, there are reasons to think this is the case.

Fuller has multiple reasons to stay put

For one, it might not be a wise career decision to leave the man who turned his career around. Fuller might be just a blip on the radar screen if not for the tireless efforts of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. During the 2017 off-season, the two seemed to grow closer, playing golf together among other activities. Fangio helped bring Fuller back from the knee injury that robbed him of the entire 2016 season. No doubt Fuller feels a sense of loyalty to him for those efforts. Then there's the more practical element. The 2018 free agent crop of cornerbacks is richer than normal. Everybody knows the laws of business. The higher the supply, the lower the demand. A lower demand means less money. In other words, Fuller may not get the big payday he hopes for by leaving. It would be better served for him to take what the Bears offer and stay put rather than risk it.