Alshon Jeffery Could Now Come at Relative Discount For Chicago Bears

It surely has not been the kind of contract year Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery envisioned, as multiple ailments limited him to nine games and a lingering hamstring issue led to him being placed on injured reserve ahead of the regular season finale.

Jeffery was mostly productive when he played this season, with 54 receptions for 807 yards (four 100-yard games). But heading into free agency with questions about durability, with a not-so-veiled shot from a teammate about maintaining top physical condition away from the facility to boot, is obviously not ideal.

There’s no denying Jeffery’s talent level, so a report from CSN Chicago’s John Mullin that the Bears are open to a long-term deal with their best wide receiver is not surprising. But it’s rare to get a player that is firmly in his prime (26 years old on Feb. 14) at a discount rate, and that’s just what the Bears are in line to do if a long-term deal can be worked out during the coming offseason.

Chicago can use the franchise tag, which is expected to be worth around $14.5 million for wide receivers this year, on Jeffery to keep him in the fold next season. A long-term deal with Jeffery may come down to what kind of guaranteed money the Bears are willing to include, with the recent deals for Dez Bryant ($45 million guaranteed) and Demaryius Thomas ($43.75 million guaranteed) as potential guide posts for Jeffery’s representation. Jeffery’s production in 2013 and 2014 actually compares favorably to Bryant’s over that span, with 174 receptions for 2,2554 yards compared to 181 catches for 2,553 yards for Bryant.

Jeffery could be more than willing to be franchise-tagged this offseason, assuming he’d like to continue playing for the Bears, in lieu of a long-term contract below his possible market value if he would have had even a mostly-healthy 2015 season. With the expectation for better health next season, Jeffery could set himself up for a huge contract a little over a year from now. But there’s something to be said for security as a NFL player, and I see the Bears offering a contract to Jeffery that will work well for both sides going forward.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.