The Chicago Bears have not yet signed rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo, or defensive lineman Shemar Turner. They may have the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns to blame.
Burden has dealt with injuries during his short time with the Bears. Turner is coming off a shin injury that caused him to miss the Senior Bowl in the scouting combine.
The Chicago Bears have yet to sign an injured rookie WR
The No. 39 pick was seen asking for medical attention during rookie minicamp. He was absent from practice last week due to what head coach Ben Johnson called a “soft tissue injury.” Johnson was unsure when Burden would return to practice.
Burden might be smart to wait until he feels 100% or signs his rookie deal. Only two picks from the second round have signed rookie deals at this point in the offseason. The Texans signed wide receiver Jayden Higgins. The Browns signed linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
Both are the first-ever second-round picks to receive fully guaranteed contracts.
Guaranteed money appears to be the obstacle
Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, it’s believed the other 30 players drafted in the second round have not signed “likely” because of contract disputes between front offices and agents over guaranteed money.
“That’s likely because other teams don’t want to follow the Browns’ and Texans’ lead and give fully guaranteed contracts to second-round picks,” Smith wrote. “And agents are asking those teams, If other second-round picks are getting fully guaranteed contracts, why should my player take anything less?”
Outside of the second round, only 26 players have yet to sign their rookie deals.
The holdup is not due to he value of the rookie contracts. Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Burden is set to sign a four-year deal worth $11.1 million, Trapilo’s contract is worth $7.5 million, and Turner’s is worth $7.2 million.
How much to the Bears want to guarantee?
Per Spotrac, the Bears guaranteed $3.7 million of 2023 second-round pick Gervon Dexter’s $6.7 million contract. The Bears guaranteed $3.4 million of Tyrique Stevenson’s $6.4 million deal, also a 2023 second-round pick.
The Bears did not select a second-round pick in the 2024 draft.
