Chicago Bears: 5 Players fighting for a contract extension

Last season, the Chicago Bears moved on from a few free agents and luckily kept their most-coveted free agent in elite wide receiver Allen Robinson. The Bears gave him the franchise tag to lock him in for the 2021 season. Unfortunately, the Bears had to let players like emerging defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris and special teams star Cordarrelle Patterson walk due to not having enough cap space.

The Bears, like last season, signed plenty of players to one-year deals to be short-term solutions like re-signing safety Tashuan Gipson, adding veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, and signing oft-injured cornerback Desmond Trufant.

The Bears though have some players on one-year deals and on the final year of their contracts. They may need to prove a thing or two before they earn themselves an extension. Obviously, stars Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks, and Roquan Smith have nothing to prove, but there are some role players that need to prove their worth.

Anthony Miller, Chicago Bears Wide Receiver

If anybody on this Bears’ roster has something to prove, it’s Anthony Miller. Miller was hyped up greatly after being drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Coming out of Memphis, Miller was a touchdown machine and a deep threat specialist that displayed unbelievable route-running and reliable hands.

Miller showcased those abilities in his first season with the Bears in 2018 in a limited fashion. As the third wide receiver option, Miller only caught 33 passes for 423 yards and seven touchdowns. He showed plenty of promise to be excited about him. He followed that up with an okay, but inconsistent 2019 season in which he caught 52 passes for 656 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2020, Miller was expected to truly breakout with Taylor Gabriel no longer in the picture. Instead, he took a backseat to fifth-round rookie speedster Darnell Mooney and only caught 49 passes for 485 yards and two touchdowns. He had drop issues, incorrect route-running, and showcased his ability to be a hot-head by getting ejected against the Saints in the NFC Wild Card.

Now, the Bears drafted Dazz Newsome, added Marquise Goodwin, and signed Damiere Byrd all to compete at wide receiver with Anthony Miller. Both Mooney and Robinson have cemented themselves as the top two receivers, but Miller needs to beat out all of these guys and prove he can actually play with consistent quarterback play to save his chances in Chicago.