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The Case Not to Extend Alshon Jeffery’s Contract in 2016

By Bill Zimmerman

Oct 5, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) scores a touchdown as Carolina Panthers cornerback Melvin White (23) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) scores a touchdown as Carolina Panthers cornerback Melvin White (23) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bears continue to work on extending Alshon Jeffery’s contract, but perhaps it’s time to table that discussion until 2017.

There has been plenty of discussion about Alshon Jeffery’s offseason.

The Chicago Bears placed the franchise tag on Jeffery early in the offseason and he had no qualms signing the tender. Jeffery was willing to play this season on the tag while his agent and the Bears continued to negotiate a long-term deal. While tagging Jeffery was the Bears right based on the CBA,  Jeffery deserves credit for accepting the situation without voicing any displeasure publicly or making life difficult on Chicago.

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There are plenty of instances where players revolt if the franchise tag is placed on them. Josh Norman found himself going from the Carolina Panthers to the Washington Redskins after refusing to sign the tender and Von Miller had taken to social media stating that he won’t play under the franchise tag no matter what and is prepared to sit out the year.

But Jeffery proved to be the consummate pro and signed the tender and said all the right things when he was at mandatory minicamp. The fact that some people have criticized Jeffery for not showing up at OTAs when he’s in the middle of a contract negotiation is just ridiculous.

That being said, while Jeffery has produced when he’s on the field, been a good teammate and an asset to the Bears’ franchise, it may seem to make little sense when I say, it’s time for the Bears to stop negotiating with Jeffery and wait until 2017 for a potential new contract.

While that is an unpopular opinion for Bears fans, it’s one that Ryan Pace should heed. In fact, it would not surprise me if the Bears are actually making very little effort to sign Jeffery and are negotiating more as a show for the fans and for Jeffery’s camp.

Pace is smarter than to shell out big dollars for Jeffery. It’s not that Jeffery isn’t an asset to the team. He absolutely is and the Bears need him on offense, but let’s play this out.

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    • If the Bears don’t pay Jeffery and let him sit on the tag, they still have no fear of losing him in 2017. They can franchise tag him two years in a row. If Jeffery has a big 2016, the Bears will have to pay him a little more than they would now, but Jeffery is already asking for elite WR dollars so the jump won’t be that significant. The Bears can use this season to make sure Jeffery is healthy and pay him next offseason, using the franchise tag as a tool to make sure he can’t head to free agency.

    Let’s say Jeffery again struggles with injuries and misses another 6 to 8 games. Let’s couple that with the idea that Kevin White has an explosive ‘rookie’ season and Daniel Braverman proves the Wes Welker comparisons are accurate. Do you want to pay nearly $100 million for a WR that has shown fantastic skill but constantly struggles with injuries while having two more young, excellent  (healthy) WRs on the roster? That may not be the best move financially.

    Perhaps Braverman doesn’t cut it and White shows he is a project that is going to take two or three years to develop, at that point Pace will know the Jeffery contract becomes much more of a priority and can handle it accordingly next season.

    The point is that the Bears don’t really know what they have at WR right now. They have an injury-prone star and a lot of untapped potential behind him. Paying Jeffery now when he’s already signed the tender makes very little sense. I believe Pace knows this as well and is in-line with this type of thinking.

    Most Bears fans want Jeffery locked up long-term. Not signing him to a deal before July 15 doesn’t mean the Bears won’t do that eventually, it just means the Bears want Jeffery to prove himself a little more before then commit to him. Knowing how much a bad contract can destroy a team’s cap flexibility, the decision to wait makes a lot of sense. If Ryan Pace is indeed playing the waiting game, it shows that he continues to make intelligent, well-thought out decisions that will keep pushing the Bears closer to becoming a consistent Super Bowl contender. Whether they become a contender with Jeffery on the roster is still a question mark and that’s okay. Patience in this situation is quite prudent.

    Bill Zimmerman is an editor and featured writer for FanSided‘s BearGogglesOn. Like his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter for more news and interaction.

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