Chicago Bears: 6 kickers to keep an eye on in preseason
By Usayd Koshul
As the Chicago Bears continue to figure out their kicking woes, what are some under the radar names the Bears should be watching?
On Sunday, the Chicago Bears shocked everyone once again by releasing kicker Elliott Fry. To most, the timing of such a move was odd. However, to the Bears, it made perfect sense. With the release of Fry, the Bears have just one active kicker remaining on the roster: Eddy Pineiro, acquired via trade from the Oakland Raiders earlier in the offseason.
However, the Bears have made it clear that even Pineiro isn’t the team’s kicker heading into the final two weeks of the preseason. The reality of things is that the Bears kicker for 2019 may not even be on the roster.
With week one quickly approaching, the Bears are acting as if there is still plenty of time to figure out the kicking position. And while this is somewhat true, at the same time, a major concern is that week one is about three weeks away, but the Bears still don’t have a solution to the position that ended their 2018 season.
Over the next two weeks, as teams begin trimming their rosters down from 90 to 53, there’ll be a plethora of players cut. Among those that are expected to be cut are names like Joey Slye, Sam Ficken, and Mason Crosby. However, there are also names such as Austin Seibert, Greg Joseph, and Cole Hedlund that could be potential options for the Bears.
As preseason continues, why are each of the names listed above considered ideal targets for the Bears? Why should the Bears keep an eye on them and what would be the benefit of bringing in each of the following names? We’ll answer all those questions as we list some kickers to keep an eye on.