Chicago Bears: 5 under-the-radar free agent wide receivers
By Ryan Heckman
Rishard Matthews
The past year has been an usual one for wideout Rishard Matthews. I have to say, also, that I am on his side.
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The Tennessee Titans were given some very serviceable seasons by Matthews, only to decide to suddenly move on from him. They drafted Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor and Tajae Sharpe over the last few seasons and as soon as Matthews hit the sidelines with an injury, they took their chance.
Almost in the blink of an eye, Matthews was an afterthought in Tennessee and requested that he be released. After signing with the New York Jets, Matthews played in five games, catching two passes.
Matthews still remains one of the most successful Titans receivers over the last decade. Within a three-year span, Matthews caught a total of 161 passes for 2,402 yards (an average of 800 per season) and 17 scores.
The former 7th round pick out of Nevada made a name for himself as a Titan. He earned everything he had in Tennessee, and just like that, he was gone. The Bears would benefit by having Matthews in the locker room and on the field, especially as a fourth option.
The problem here is that Matthews probably wouldn’t like the thought of being a fourth or fifth option. He made it clear after leaving Tennessee that he wanted to play.