Bears Blitz

Published by Matt Eurich on December 28, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is one of the NFL‘s best young pass-catchers, but the team will have to make a big decision about his future in the Windy City in the coming weeks and months.

Jeffery’s rookie contract is set to expire at the end of this year, and the Bears will have to decide whether it is in the team’s best interest to sign him to a long-term deal or use the franchise tag on him this offseason.

The former second-round pick struggled with injuries in his rookie season in 2012 and caught just 24 passes for 367 yards with three touchdowns in 10 games. He played in all 16 games in 2013 and finished the year with 89 catches for 1,421 yards with seven touchdowns, and was named to his first Pro Bowl.

Jeffery was excited for the opportunity to showcase his talents in the NFL’s All-Star Game, per ChicagoBears.com’s Larry Mayer:

I’m extremely blessed and thankful for the opportunity to play in the Pro Bowl. I want to thank coach [Mike] Groh, coach [Marc] Trestman and the rest of my teammates for putting me in a position to succeed this season. Thanks to all the fans for all of the support this season and I’m looking forward to playing with Brandon [Marshall] and Matt [Forte] in Hawaii.

Just being from where I came from to where I am now, what I’m doing, it’s just special to be part of the success we’re having as a team. Finally, I want to thank my Mama and my family. I’m going to continue to make you all proud.

The former South Carolina Gamecock backed up his Pro Bowl season by catching 85 passes for 1,133 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2014. He benefited from playing alongside perennial Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall during his first three seasons in the league, but the team traded Marshall to the New York Jets last March.

With Marshall out of the picture, Jeffery was expected to transform into the team’s No. 1 wide receiver this season. He struggled with a calf injury during training camp, and he did not play in the preseason.

The young receiver was listed as questionable for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers because of his calf, but he played 60 of the team’s 77 snaps on offense, according to Pro Football Focus, and finished the game with five catches for 78 yards.

He missed Chicago’s next four games with a hamstring injury, but he returned against the Detroit Lions in Week 6 and recorded eight catches for 147 yards with one touchdown in the team’s overtime loss at Ford Field.

Following the Bears’ bye in Week 7, Jeffery strung together back-to-back 10-catch games against the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers. In those two games, Jeffery gained 267 yards through the air and scored one touchdown. He was held to just 23 yards on three catches against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10 before missing Week 11 against the Denver Broncos with a groin and shoulder injury.

The former Pro Bowler returned in Week 12 against the Packers on Thanksgiving night and caught seven passes for 90 yards. He caught four passes for 85 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 and six passes for 107 yards with one touchdown against the Washington Redskins before making just one catch for 10 yards with one touchdown in Week 15 against the Vikings.

On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jeffery was once again inactive because of his hamstring injury. The Chicago Sun-Times‘ Patrick Finley pointed out before the game just how much time Jeffery has missed in 2015:

Even though Jeffery has played in just nine games this season, he still leads the team in receptions (54) and receiving yards (807). He is averaging 14.3 yards per catch and nearly 90 receiving yards per game in 2015.

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase noted last week just how important Jeffery is to Chicago’s offense, per Finley:

When he’s out there, he’s a force for us. He makes a big difference, and I think defenses have to account for him.

He’s done a good job of making sure that he knows (blitzes) so we’ve been able to move him around. I think that’s caused defenses a lot of problems trying to figure out where he’s at. We’ve got some different matchups that have caused problems, but obviously I would like to have him out there as much as possible just because he is a guy that they really have to focus on.

Jeffery is not the fastest wide receiver on Chicago’s roster, but he runs crisp routes and knows how to create separation off the line of scrimmage. He has some of the best hands in the league and is a threat to score whenever the Bears get into the red zone.

Before the season began, signing Jeffery to a long-term deal sounded like a no-brainer, but his inability to stay on the field this season may force the Bears to use the franchise tag on the young receiver. 

The majority of Jeffery’s injuries this season have been soft-tissue problems, and quarterback Jay Cutler commented last week that most soft-tissue injuries are the result of players not taking care of themselves after they leave the team’s practice facility, per Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:

Since Jeffery has been unable to keep himself healthy this year, the Bears may tag him this offseason so they can get another look at him in Chicago’s offense before offering him a long-term deal.

According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, if a team used the franchise tag on a wide receiver in 2015, that player would earn $12.8 million for the season. The Denver Broncos placed the franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas and the Dallas Cowboys placed it on Dez Bryant last offseason, but both receivers signed signed five-year, $70 million contracts in the middle of July. 

Thomas’ and Bryant’s long-term deals will likely be used as a blueprint for a proposed contract by Jeffery’s agent this offseason, but the Bears would be wise to use the franchise tag on the young receiver in 2016 with the hope that he can stay healthy and be productive next season.

Jeffery is one of the league’s most talented wide receivers because of his strong hands and ability to go up and get the football in traffic, but he will need to prove he can stay healthy for a full 16-game season next year before the Bears decide to offer him a long-term contract.

Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich.

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