It will be a talking point for the rest of the summer. Get used to it. The Chicago Bears need wide receiver help. That is a simple fact. Outside of Darnell Mooney, they don’t have anybody on the roster one can call proven. Byron Pringle had a decent 2021 season in Kansas City, but he was an afterthought before that. Velus Jones has talent but is a rookie. Dante Pettis? Tajae Sharpe? Equanimeous St. Brown? They’re nobodies in the grand scheme. This is why conversations get crazy when guys like D.K. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin hold out over contract issues. Then there is Kenny Golladay.
His issue is a bit different. The New York Giants already paid him his money. What they got in return last year was lots of disappointment. Think Robert Quinn in 2020. That is how bad it was. Health issues and ugly production. Some around the league wonder if the new regime in town might like to unload him and his contract at the earliest opportunity. Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report thinks the Bears are the obvious landing spot.
“Bears get: WR Kenny Golladay
Giants get: 2023 sixth-round pick
The New York Giants’ star free-agent signing from the 2021 offseason struggled mightily in his first season with the franchise. The offense was ravaged by injuries, and Golladay’s effort level was questionable. A new regime might buy Golladay another year in the Big Apple, but the Giants should pounce if given the chance to shed his massive $21.15 million cap hit.
Because of the way Golladay’s contract is structured, New York will save $17.75 million in cap space if they deal him. Chicago would assume just $13 million in salary in 2022. They could cut him after the season and incur a modest $3.4 million dead-cap hit from 2023 through 2025 if he simply doesn’t work out.”
Kenny Golladay is a stud. He’s also unreliable.
His 2019 season was outstanding, catching 65 passes for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns. In the two years since then, he’s been almost an afterthought with only 859 yards and two touchdowns in 19 games. Part of the problem is health. He’s had a hard time staying on the field; when he is, he’s not always 100%. If the Bears were confident they’re getting the 2019 version of him, this would be the easiest decision in the world.
There is no certainty of that. Still, Kenny Golladay is 28 years old. There are reasons to think he still has time to recapture that old form. It comes down to whether GM Ryan Poles can stomach that contract. If he wants out after this year, the penalty would be tolerable. If the receiver plays great, the Bears would control him for another year in 2023. A 6th round pick isn’t that bad of a price. Presuming the Giants were open to the idea, this is the kind of low-risk-high-reward move they should make.
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