Report: Bears cut cornerback Kyle Fuller

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The Bears reportedly made their first major cut of the offseason on Thursday. Hours after holding their introductory press conference for quarterback Andy Dalton, Ian Rapoport reported that the team had cut All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller.

Rapoport later added that there's still a chance for Fuller to be traded, if a team really wants him and doesn't want to compete for him on the open market.

After the Bears had restructured Khalil Mack’s contract earlier this month, Fuller had the highest cap hit on the team for the 2021 season at $20 million. Now, after the reported release, the Bears will save $11 million towards this year’s cap with $9 million in dead money, according to Spotrac.

According to Dianna Russini the Bears tried to keep Fuller on the team, “by asking him to take a VERY significant paycut, but he would rather test the market.”

Fuller was the Bears’ first-round pick of the 2014 draft. He made an instant impact with the team, intercepting two balls in Week 2 against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Over his six-year career with the team, Fuller gained nationwide recognition as one of the best cover corners, while also being one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the league. Since 2014, he has 19 interceptions, four forced fumbles and 390 tackles.

He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019 and was named a First Team All-Pro in 2018 as well. He won the Bears’ Brian Piccolo Award in 2015.

Now the team is left with Jaylon Johnson as the team’s top outside corner. However several other teams have cut other talented defensive backs as well, so there’s a chance Ryan Pace finds a replacement on the free agent market. Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler was cut by the Titans after posting a four interception, 100-tackle season in 2020. After several injuries limited him to six games last season, the Lions cut Desmond Trufant. Other big name players, like Richard Sherman, Casey Hayward, A.J. Bouye and Xavier Rhodes are all still available (as of Thursday night at 7 p.m.) too.

After the move, the Bears are still $3.7 million over the cap, according to Spotrac.

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