Is Alshon Jeffery worth the money?
Every week I’m aiming to talk about something of relevance to the Chicago Bears. It’s the off season though, so there isn’t as much to dissect. Fans are just itching to watch the game and players are just itching to play. But one player who I’m not too sure is in any rush is star wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
After an injury plagued 2015 season, we all want to see Jeffery bounce back and we all want to see him donning the blue and orange for many years. So what’s the hold up, Alshon? What’s the hold up, Ryan Pace? Contracts with big named players are a little trickier, but this is -when healthy- a top five to seven wide receiver in the NFL. He’s a key to Chicago’s success.
I’m not saying that AJ deserves $15 million, he isn’t that A.J from Cincinnati. A player who is oft injured like Alshon, may have to leave some money on the table. At the end of the day, he hasnt shown he is durable enough for a 16 game season. He was dominant in game by all means, but can you characterize someone as dominant when their presence is always in question? Absolutely not.
Tuesday Jeffery joined the Bears for their mandatory minicamp. That’s great. But, like the front office, as an invested fan I want to see him practice with the team, not in Florida where we don’t know what he’s doing. I’m sure he’s working hard, he has 14.2 million reasons to do so but I’m worried I have to watch him nurse small tissue injuries all next season and ruin everything.
The deadline to get the deal done is July 15th, I hope they get a fair offer in, but if he thinks he’s worth more, he has to just play on the tag and prove it this year that, one, he can stay healthy and, two, he can have a dominant season. Alshon is the 2nd most important offensive player on this team. It isn’t a lineman or running back or tight end. The Matt Forte days are over. It’s all Alshon. He’s the only play-maker on our offense that defenses create game plans to shut him down.
No one is sitting in defensive meetings and scheming for Zach Miller or Jeremy Langford. They’re unproven. Alshon’s presence on the field is the only way our offense will be able to light opponents up. He’s the only player that’ll open up opportunities for other players and his success has a direct correlation with the success of the other players on offense not named Jay Cutler.
So Alshon, if somehow you read this, if you’re fighting for AJ Green money, it’s not worth it. You’re not worth it. If it’s the difference of guaranteed money, understand that your presence on the field isn’t guaranteed every week and wasn’t all last season. But by no means Alshon are you a scrub. The Bears need you and we want you to be in Chicago- but for $13.5 – $14.5 million per season. If that doesn’t seem fair, then play the year out, produce like AJ Green, and receive AJ Green money. That’s fair.
Wase Siddiqui is a sports writer for FanSided. Currently resided in Dallas, Chicago raised. Die Hard Bears fan. LONG LIVE JAY CUTLER.