Kicking in Chicago is hard. People talk about guys like Morton Anderson but can they be called legitimate kickers since they did the bulk of their damage in perfect conditions, mostly inside a dome. There is no such luxury in this town. The temperature fluctuates, the field can be slippery and the wind is utterly impossible to predict coming off that lake. New Bears kicker Cody Parkey seems to have a keen understanding of this.
Then again he should. He's used to kicking outdoors and in adverse weather conditions. The first part of his NFL career was spent in Philadelphia with those wet falls and snowy winters. Then he headed off to Miami in the heat and the unpredictable rains of hurricane season. Suffice to say the challenge of Chicago was one that didn't phase him like it might other kickers.
He also has a bit of inspiration. Parkey knows the Bears are a team built around history, and few kickers made more history in this town than Robbie Gould. All the validation people need of that was seeing how many fans were cheering for him to making the winning kick last season against the Bears for San Francisco.
Gould set the standard, and Parkey
plans to follow his example.
New Bears kick Cody Parkey also hopes to be "Good as Gould"
“He was an incredible kicker here,” Parkey said last week after signing a four-year, $15 million deal with $9 million in guarantees. “It shows you that it’s clearly possible to be a great kicker here. I’m up for the challenge, and I’m up to go out there and do my best.”
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Parkey comes in with some accomplishments of his own. He was a Pro Bowler during his rookie season in 2014. Last year he went an impressive 21-of-23 for the Miami Dolphins. He can kick for accuracy and is reasonable from a distance. This has a chance to become a huge signing for the Bears provided he's able to stay healthy.
Replacing somebody like Gould was always going to be a challenge for the Bears. Some argue cutting him in the first place was a mistake. Either way, this team needs consistency from the kicker if they're going to start putting up more points. Parkey is the latest and probably most qualified name they've signed. The fact he's acknowledging Gould for the great he was is a good sign he knows the expectations.
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