Many free agents are still up for grabs to be signed by NFL teams, including a former Chicago Bears defensive lineman.
Jonathan Bullard has been a free agent this offseason after finishing off a two-year stint with Bears rival Minnesota Vikings. Bullard could potentially be looking for his sixth different team to join in his tenth year in the NFL.
It does beg the question on why he is still a free agent. Could the Bears be in play to go after him?
Examining Bullard's career and whether he should be in the NFL again
Chicago selected Bullard in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Bears, where he was primarily a depth player. In 46 career games in the Windy City, he made 62 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, four pass deflections, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
The Bears would go on to cut Bullard at the end of the 2019 training camp and spend the season with the Arizona Cardinals. He would bounce around the next two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons.
It wouldn't be until 2022 where he landed on his feet with the Vikings where he spent three seasons and would end up being a full-time starter for Minnesota in 2023 and 2024. He started 38 of the 46 games he appeared in as he made 108 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four pass deflections, three sacks, and one forced fumble.
That leaves Bullard in an interesting situation where he is a free agent looking for a new home. Despite being listed as a defensive end, he's not the prototypical pass rusher off the edge. His strength is stopping the run and attracting attention from other top edge rushers to get him in single blocks to beat.
Of all the positions on the Bears' defense, the line has the most depth. Having someone like Bullard wouldn't hurt, but it's unclear if Bears general manager Ryan Poles would look to bring him back.
Bullard had a visit with the New Orleans Saints back in June so that could be one landing spot for him. Minnesota might not be an option after the Vikings spent nearly $300 million on free agents.
Read more: Chicago reporter says how all Bears fans feel about Ryan Poles
Injuries will occur and might give Bullard a chance to land a job. It'll be interesting to see who takes a chance on him.