The Bears' defensive line overhaul began Friday when the club released veteran defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, citing sources.
The Bears signed Muhammad to a two-year, $8 million contract last offseason with $3.3 million in guarantees. By releasing Muhammad before June 1, the Bears will incur a $500,000 dead cap penalty but save $3.96 million in salary cap space, per Spotrac.Â
Muhammad, 28, had a disappointing season in Chicago. He recorded just one sack and 15 solo tackles in 16 games for the Bears. He created only 19 pressures.
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The Bears brought Muhammad in last offseason due to his familiarity with head coach Matt Eberflus' system and the H.I.T.S (hustle, intensity, takeaways, smart football) principle. The Bears wanted a veteran on the defensive side of the ball to help set the tone during the offseason program, showing other players what the new staff expected of them on a daily basis.
But Muhammad's on-field production wasn't enough to warrant keeping him around in 2023, and the Bears open up a little more valuable cap space by cutting bait with him.
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