Chicago Bears, Kyle Fuller to avoid franchise tag with long-term deal?

If the Chicago Bears choose not to tag Kyle Fuller, does it mean they’re letting him go? Or does it mean they could be trying to keep him around long-term?

With Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears brass in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, the noise around the team isn’t all focusing on the prospects. In particular, there might be some interesting developments coming in regards to cornerback Kyle Fuller‘s future.

Here’s a nugget Brad Biggs dropped on Tuesday night about whether or not the Bears intend to tag Fuller as many expect.

So wait…no franchise tag for Fuller after all? Typically, when Biggs says something, there’s a little bit of weight to it. As such, I wouldn’t dismiss it as nothing just yet, even if the Bears haven’t fully made up their minds.

But what could that mean if the Chicago Bears don’t want to use the franchise tag on Fuller?

Well, it can mean, of course, that the Bears intend to let him test the free agent market and see what other teams will offer him.

If they did that, he’ll probably be gone. A number of teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs, have needs at cornerback, and the Bears can reload by paying someone like Trumaine Johnson.

However, would the Bears really be that cavalier about letting Fuller go? I wouldn’t be too sure of that.

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In fact, probably the more likely reason for not using the tag on him is that they’re nearing a long-term deal to keep him in Chicago.

With Ryan Pace meeting the media today, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if the major news he announced was that the Bears were re-signing Fuller on a multi-year contract.

Doing so makes more financial sense than using the franchise tag on him, which would cost about $15 million. And there’s a solid chance that the Bears will be able to pay him a bit less than that on a long-term contract or be able to make the contract more affordable toward the end.

Again, the thing to pay attention to is the guaranteed money, not the overall money. For a five-year deal, the Bears would probably need to guarantee somewhere around (maybe a bit under) $40 million.

There’s probably no reason that can’t get the job done.

Next: Did Allen Robinson hint at wanting to be a Bear?

I could be wrong, of course, and they might just be deciding that they can do without him and pursue Johnson/draft options. But in the meantime, why not stay optimistic that Kyle Fuller can remain in Chicago?

Maybe Pace will fill us in today from Indianapolis.