The Chicago Bears didn’t mince words regarding the situation at kicker. They were not satisfied with the job done by Cody Parkey. Given he missed 11 kicks in total, it’s not hard to see why. The only question was whether they would get rid of him this offseason. Thus far the answer remains elusive, but judging by how active the team is at scanning the market for kickers? One can imagine his odds aren’t great.
It started with the team meeting potential draft pick Cole Tracy down at the Senior Bowl. The LSU standout is considered among the best in the 2019 class. He’s already expressed his deep interest in kicking for the Bears. Now he’s since been joined by another name as the organization met with their first potential veteran option.
The #Bears begin work to improve their kicking situation, working out FA K Nick Folk today, source said. Cody Parkey is on thin ice, of course.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 25, 2019
Nick Folk is hardly the only kicker the Bears are working out. There is a fairly wide net they are casting. There are likely to around 6-7 kickers working out, including Folk, per source. Early workout date for kickers. https://t.co/p4T19G8m5o
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2019
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Clearly GM Ryan Pace plans to leave no stone unturned. Kicker has been the one position that has routinely eluded him. It started with Conor Barth after the team released Robbie Gould and now the Parkey situation. He understands how vital it is now that the team is a contender that he get this position fixed.
Folk is a longtime veteran with playoff experience for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets. He was very good in 2016, connecting on 27-of-31 field goals. However, a year later in Tampa Bay, he struggled to hit just 6-of-11 including three misses in a loss to the Patriots. Rumors though would seem to indicate he may have been injured at the time.
Folk spent the 2018 season at home without a job so this is his first foray back into the picture. It’ll be interesting to see who else the Bears might be looking at.
