On Friday, the Bears announced their intention to release cornerback Kyle Fuller due to salary cap concerns. Fuller, who was in the last year of the four-year, $56 million deal he signed in 2018, was due to cost the team $20 million against the $182.5 million cap in 2021. The Bears tried to trade Fuller (most notably to the Seahawks in the Russell Wilson trade that didn’t happen), but eventually released him. Very soon after, Fuller signed a one-year, $9.5 million deal with the Broncos ($9 million guaranteed), which reunites him with Denver head coach Vic Fangio, Fangio was Fuller’s defensive coordinator from 2015 through 2018.
The Broncos have spent a ton in free agency this year to maintain and enhance their secondary. Denver made Justin Simmons the NFL’s highest-paid safety with a four-year, $61 million contract. They signed former Bills, Eagles, and Washington cornerback Ronald Darby to a three-year, $30 million contract, and now, the Fuller deal.
In 2020, for a Bears defense that often seemed at odds with itself schematically, Fuller allowed 45 receptions on 80 targets for 512 yards, 137 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, one interception, six passes defensed, and an opponent passer rating of 87.1. In 2018, his last year under Fangio, Fuller allowed 69 catches on 113 targets for 819 yards, 264 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, a league-leading seven interceptions and 21 passes defensed, and an opponent passer rating allowed of 69.2.
Even in an off year for Chicago’s defense, Fuller was still able to prevent big plays, as he did against Michael Thomas of the Saints in the Bears’ wild-card loss.
Working with Fangio again might bring out the opportunism in Fuller’s game.