Former Bear Prince Amukamara Catches on with Raiders

Veteran cornerback joins Nick Kwiatkoski in Las Vegas after being cut by the Bears for salary cap purposes

Former Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara will be back in the NFL next year and Chicago won't have to worry about facing another former player unless it's in the Super Bowl.

Amukamara joined former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski in signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to an NFL Network report.

The Bears chose to cut Amukamara prior to NFL free agency rather than pay him $9 million for the final year of his contract.

He played for the Bears from 2017-2019. Instead, they absorbed just $1 million his prorated signing bonus against their salary cap.

The Bears since drafted Jaylon Johnson from Utah in the second round to compete for the spot made vacant by cutting Amukamara. They also have former Steelers cornerback Artie Burns, Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson among the players trying to win that starting spot.

Amukamara played five years for the New York Giants and a season with the Jacksonville Jaguars prior to going to the Bears. He has seven career interception including three in Chicago, all during the 2018 season.

Sportradar, the official statistical partner of the NFL, recorded a drastic decrease in Amukamara's effectiveness last season when targeted by quarterbacks. His passer rating against skyrocketed from 75.3 in 2018 to 105.2 in 2019. He allowed completions 66.2% of passes when targeted after allowing 57.3% the previous season.

Amukamara was a first-round pick by the Giants in 2011, a year when they beat New England in the Super Bowl after going through the season with a 9-7 record.

With the Bears, Amukamara was part of a defense that led the NFL in interceptions (27) and passer rating against (72.9) in 2018.

Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson are the only remaining players from the starting five players in that secondary.

In all, the Bears have had six members of their defense sign elsewhere this offseason either in free agency or after being cut. 

They are: Amukamara in Las Vegas,  Kwiatkoski in Las Vegas, defensive end Nick Williams with Detroit, linebacker Leonard Floyd with the Rams, linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis with Washington and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with Dallas.

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