Chicago Bears: Possible replacements for Cody Parkey in 2019
By Ryan Heckman
Regardless of how the Chicago Bears lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard round, Cody Parkey could soon be replaced.
It still hurts, and I think this one may hurt for a while. Seeing the Chicago Bears go one-and-done in the playoffs after waiting eight long years to see them return was one of the harder losses I have ever witnessed.
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I will say this, however: If you still blame Cody Parkey for the loss, you better go back and look at the tape.
The NFL changed the ruling on the missed field goal by Parkey, that ultimately would have won his team the game. Initially, it was ruled a simple missed kick. Instead, after further review, it was changed to a blocked field goal.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Treyvon Hester got a hand on the kick, but just barely. It did, in fact, alter the direction of Parkey’s kick by a hair, causing it to hit the upright and fall short.
Speaking of hitting the upright, one cannot ignore the fact that Parkey did just that earlier in the season — four times in one game. Even though this loss shouldn’t fall squarely on Parkey’s shoulders, he did end up missing a total of 11 kicks this season.
Parkey missed seven field goals and three extra points during the regular season, while his lone miss in the postseason was technically blocked.
This upcoming offseason, the Bears should still part ways with Parkey. I understand he’s set to make $2.75 million next year, but this is one decision Ryan Pace will have to make if he wants this team to become better.
So, who could the Bears bring in to replace Parkey? Let’s take a look at several options.