Chicago Bears: Ranking Ryan Pace’s top 5 worst free agency signings

4. WR Markus Wheaton

I am one of those fans that, at times, will try and convince myself of a signing not being absolutely terrible. This was one of those cases.

Markus Wheaton was signed to a two-year deal worth $11 million — yuck, that still tastes awful coming out of my mouth — with $6 million guaranteed.

Ouch. That still has to sting, if you’re Pace.

Wheaton gave the Bears three catches, on 17 targets, for 51 yards in 2017. So, $2 million per reception for the season — talk about a deal gone bad.

I don’t know what Pace thought he was doing a year ago, not going after bigger names. But, he must have seen something in Wheaton that no one else did, and it simply didn’t add up in the end.

In his best two years with the Steelers, Wheaton caught a combined 97 passes for nearly 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. The year before coming to Chicago, Wheaton missed 13 games due to injury.

Outside of 2014 and 2015, Wheaton has caught six, four and three passes in the other three seasons he’s played. That’s right — three seasons and 13 receptions. Once again, I’d like to know what Pace saw in this guy.