Bears general manager Ryan Poles has a lot of work to do with this roster ahead of free agency. There are some important decisions to be made about possibly retaining some in-house free agents and big targets set to hit the free agent market.
While in-house names like Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks, James Daniels and Bilal Nichols are garnering plenty of attention, Jakeem Grant is flying under the radar. The Bears traded for Grant last October to serve as their return specialist, and he turned it into a Pro Bowl and All-Pro season.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Grant could be a surprise player who nets more than many believe when free agency kicks off. Pelissero notes Grant could net as much as $5 million per year after accounting for $1.5 million in 2021 with Chicago.
The Bears got a bargain last October, acquiring Grant from the Dolphins for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick. He scored a 97-yard touchdown on a punt return against the Packers on the way to his second consecutive second-team All-Pro nod as a return man. A new deal could yield over $5 million a year, which would make Grant the NFL’s highest-paid pure return specialist.
While Grant is primarily a return specialist, he also showed an ability to serve as depth at wide receiver. His speed makes him a dangerous weapon that could certainly have new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy intrigued. But if Grant is going to cost $5 million, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for him to be retained primarily as a special teams player.
It’s a similar situation the Bears encountered last offseason with kick return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson, who was a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro during his time in Chicago. Ultimately, the Bears couldn’t afford to pay a primarily special teams player and let him walk. It wound up working out for Patterson, who signed with the Falcons and became a dynamic playmaker on offense as a running back.
We’ll see if Grant ultimately returns to Chicago. But the Bears have bigger issues than re-signing a punt returner, especially if someone like Dazz Newsome figures to factor into the equation.
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