The Chicago Bears are doing some household chores before the new year of the free league and agency begins. According ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the club decided to launch veteran cornerback Buster Skrine after spending the past two seasons in Chicago. This move will save about $ 2 million against Bears’ salary cap this off-season, but the club will take about $ 3.3 million in dead money in 2021 after launch.
Skrine arrived in Chicago in 2019, when he signed a $ 16.5 million three-year contract, which included a guaranteed $ 8.5 million. The nickel corner was a considerable piece in the secondary Bears outside the gate in 2019, starting in four of its 16 games played and playing 68% of the defensive snaps. This year, however, Skrine missed the last four games and playoffs due to a concussion, which was the sixth concussion reported in his career.
The 2020 campaign was not as productive as its first season with the Bears. The 31-year-old allowed 78.1% of his targets to be completed and the defenders combined for a pass rating of 125.7 when targeting Skrine.
The 10-year veteran originally joined the league as a Browns’ choice in the fifth round in 2011, from Chattanooga. He spent the first four seasons of his career in Cleveland before joining the New York Jets in 2015, when he was signed to a four-year contract worth $ 25 million. Given the unstable game in 2020 and its history of concussions, it will be curious to see what the next step in Skrine’s professional career will be.