The Bears are bringing back a familiar face for the 2022 season. The team announced on Sunday that they re-signed versatile defensive back DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year deal.
The Bears drafted Houston-Carson in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, and since then he’s played in 77 games for the team. Houston-Carson is primarily known as a safety, but he’s chipped in as a slot corner as well.
Houston-Carson enjoyed a career year in 2021. He earned his first NFL start in Week 7 against the Bucs, and played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps three times. Houston-Carson also set career highs in tackles (51), passes defended (4) and fumble recoveries (2). He also intercepted one pass, and scored his first career touchdown.
It’s unclear whether the Bears are bringing Houston-Carson back to be the team’s full-time starting safety beside Eddie Jackson, or if they’ll bring in an additional defensive back to compete for the job. Either way, re-signing Houston-Carson will bring some continuity to the defense, along with added versatility.