Chicago Bears: Observations as the new league year approaches

What decision do the Bears make on Kyle Fuller?

This is the big question for the Bears — do they keep Kyle Fuller or let him go? There are a few ways general manager Ryan Pace could go. There were plenty of options, including a long-term deal, letting him walk or just simply slapping the franchise tag on him.

While some advocated for the franchise tag, it seemed Pace disagreed. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote that his sources indicated that the franchise tag wouldn’t be used:

"The Bears are not going to place the franchise tag on Fuller. I can’t say for sure if the transition tag will be in play, but multiple folks have told me they do not expect the Bears to franchise-tag Fuller, something that would come at a price tag of a little more than $15 million per season. This isn’t a surprise because it creates a difficult situation to get a long-term deal done and, well, that’s probably too rich for Fuller."

Ultimately, the Bears chose to not use the franchise tag on Fuller. Instead, they placed the transition tag on him. By doing so, they will have the opportunity to match any deal that is offered to the cornerback. Which still begs the question of what they’ll do with him, but puts the team in a solid position in regards to that decision.

Remember that Fuller nearly lost his starter’s job and he basically quit on the team in 2016. All of that has to go into consideration before the Bears make a big investment on him. It appears Fuller will either be a Bear for the long-term or he’ll wear a different uniform next season. We’ll find out pretty soon.