Former Pro Bowl Player Looks to Rebound

Desmond Trufant suffered through injuries the past two seasons after starting his career as a Pro Bowl cornerback with Atlanta but now he looks to rebound in Chicago.

The Bears answer as a replacement for cornerback Kyle Fuller is a former Pro Bowl player.

It was a long time ago when he made the Pro Bowl, though.

Former Detroit Lions cornerback Desmond Trufant signed a one-year deal with the Bears according to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter. It was 2015 with the Atlanta Falcons when Trufant made the Pro Bowl and he was a key part in 2016 of the Atlanta defense but wasn't availble when they blew a Super Bowl lead against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots the next season.

Fuller was reportedly released due to salary cap reasons by the Bears but his name remains on their roster as of the close of NFL business on Friday. He is expected to be released but as long as the transaction hasn't gone through to the league office there is a chance he could be traded.

#Bears CB Kyle Fuller’s release was not on the transaction wire. That means he cannot yet be signed (and is not free).

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 19, 2021

Trufant, who is 6-foot, 190 pounds, has 14 career interceptions and left the Falcons in free agency last year to sign a two-year, $20 million deal with the Lions. However, things didn't work out with the Lions.

Trufant had hamstring issues and went on injured reserve after playing in only six games. He had a broken forearm in 2019 and went on IR with the Falcons after nine games, so his last full season was in 2018. He also finished 2016 on IR.

After playing for Atlanta and Detroit the last two years, he accounts for $11.8 million in dead cap money combined for the teams. He had five-year, $69 million contract extension in 2017 with the Falcons. The Lions cut him for cap purposes, as did Atlanta.

The Bears will likely look for a cornerback in the draft, as well. 

One of the big fears for Fuller would be that he signed with Green Bay, which tried to sign him away as a transition free agent in 2018. It's why they have been reported to have been seeking to trade him.

Fuller may also interest Denver, which is coached by former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

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