Well, that didn’t take long:
The #Bears are matching the #Packers’ offer sheet for CB Kyle Fuller, sources said. Fuller stays.
It’s a 4-year deal worth $56M. The key number is $18M guaranteed. Fuller already had $13M guaranteed from the translation tag. For $5M more guaranteed, they get him long-term🔒💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2018
The Green Bay Packers made the Kyle Fuller sweepstakes more interesting than expected by signing the 2014 first-round pick to an offer sheet. However, the thought of the Chicago Bears losing Fuller to their arch-rivals was short-lived as the team – as expected – matched the terms of the deal.
That was cute while it lasted, I suppose.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the deal is worth up to $56 million over four years, with $18 million coming guaranteed. And since the transition tag was already worth nearly $13 million, the Bears are essentially getting him on (at minimum) a two-year deal for $18 million. I wouldn’t go on a limb and call it a long-term deal, but it’s a multi-year contract that the team and player should be happy about signing.
Fuller had a breakout year in 2017, picking up a pair of interceptions, coming away with 22 passes defended, and making 68 tackles as he earned an 84.3 grade from Pro Football Focus that made him the highest-graded Bears corner and had him ranked 21st in the league. The interception numbers could have been higher, but this is the kind of production the Bears have been hoping Fuller would produce since being drafted in 2014.
Fuller recently turned 26, and a four-year contract puts him in the market for another big deal after the 2021 season if he keeps up this production. The Virginia Tech product seems to have developed a strong bond with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, whose tough love style seems to have gotten the most out of Fuller.
With Fuller back in the mix, the starting secondary for a defense that ranked in the top-10 in scoring defense and total yards is back for another round. Fuller will be joined by Prince Amukamara (who re-signed earlier in the week), Eddie Jackson, and Adrian Amos.
The Bears’ productive offseason keeps marching on.