Chicago Bears: Is Bobby Okereke the perfect signing?

Nothing in life is a sure thing and the same goes for life as a free agent in the NFL. Free agents have the ability to negotiate deals with any team in the league once the new league year begins. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to predict where players will land weeks from now.

However, former Indianapolis Colts LB Bobby Okereke has both the talent and the windy city connections to ensure his spot on the Chicago Bears roster come 2023.

Okereke was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft. His first NFL snaps were played for current Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, who served as the Colts’ defensive coordinator from 2018-21.

The personal connection is already there but Okereke is an intriguing signing all on his own. For starters, Okereke is a very durable player. In his 4 seasons in the NFL, he has only missed 3 games. He has done this while playing over 1,000 snaps a season multiple times.

Bobby Okereke has all the traits of a great Chicago Bears linebacker.

Okereke’s production over the past two seasons has also been worth noting. In 2021, he led the Colts in tackles with 132, while also pulling down 2 interceptions and deflecting 4 passes.

In 2022, he managed to take a step forward. Okereke upped his tackle count to 151 while forcing 2 fumbles and deflecting another 5 passes. That is fantastic production for any linebacker.

Obviously, Okereke would also be a seamless scheme fit, as he already has hands-on experience playing for Matt Eberflus. Eberflus exclusively runs a version of the 4-3 defense where the middle linebacker is looked at as a leader and playmaker.

Okereke’s resume definitely qualifies him as he is a productive player who rarely misses time. Rookie Jack Sanborn did a solid job filling the role toward the end of the season but you can never have too many quality linebackers.

As good a scheme fit as Okereke is, the most intriguing factor in his potential signing might be his contract situation.

According to Spotrac.com, Okereke is only projected to make $2.3 million dollars a year with his projected contract at 2 years, $4.69 million dollars. That seems low for the amount of production he provides.

The Bears have more than enough cap space to pay Okereke, even if his asking price is a little higher than projected. This signing looks to be the best situation for everyone involved and only seems like a matter of time until Bobby Okereke will be putting pen to paper.