The Bears' culture is about to be tested, with the team facing a potential breaking point.
In need of salary cap space, the Bears are planning to part ways with top cornerback Kyle Fuller -- either through a release to clear $11 million or a trade, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported. A seven-year veteran and one of the most respected players in the Bears' locker room, Fuller will soon be playing for another team -- and he could just be starting the line out of Halas Hall.
The Bears have also given star defensive lineman Akiem Hicks permission to seek a trade, the Chicago Tribune reported. He's due $10.5 million in 2021, and his exit would clear more salary cap space. If Hicks were to depart, the Bears would be losing the beating heart of their once-vaunted defense. He's a player and person who's considered indispensable in the locker room.
Upon learning of Fuller's impending exit and the possibility that Hicks could be out too, the Bears had several key players who were "pissed," as one source close to the team described. Star safety Eddie Jackson, who recently restructured his contract with the hope of keeping a teammate like Fuller in Chicago, tweeted his frustration after the news of Fuller's future became public.
"At this point," Jackson tweeted with a face-palming emoji. He later deleted the tweet.
Thursday didn't mark the first time Bears players have publicly expressed displeasure with Pace and the front office. Many took to Twitter in support of star receiver Allen Robinson last fall as his contract extension negotiations broke down. Robinson accepted the franchise tag at $18 million on Thursday, officially bringing back him to a team that suddenly looks much different.
There's a reason players are upset. The Bears aren't moving forward with some sort of strategic rebuild. They're simply hemorrhaging talent as they head toward a must-win 2021 season.