Bears release veteran guard Nate Davis, who signed a 3-year, $30M contract in 2023

Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune on Nov 13, 2024

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears have decided they’re better off paying Nate Davis not to be on the team any longer than carrying him as a reserve.

The Bears released the veteran guard Wednesday, an admission they missed when signing him to a three-year, $30 million contract in free agency in March 2023. They’re on the hook for the remainder of his base salary this season.

It’s an abrupt move because teams generally wait until the offseason to discard free-agent busts, but it’s not surprising given Davis’ fall on the depth chart. He was behind Bill Murray for the Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers and was a healthy inactive the next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

The Bears used Davis’ roster spot to sign offensive tackle Jake Curhan from the practice squad.

Issues with Davis ran so deep, the Bears chose to cut him even though they’re banged up on the offensive line. Left guard Teven Jenkins left Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots with an ankle injury, left tackle Braxton Jones missed the last two games with a knee injury and right tackle Darnell Wright was inactive last week with a knee issue.

Davis would have been in uniform against the Patriots but arrived at Soldier Field on Sunday morning and reported a back issue. He was checked out and made inactive, forcing the Bears to play with only seven offensive linemen.

The Bears were optimistic Davis, who started 13 games for them over two seasons, would bounce back this year after a disappointing 2023. They publicly backed him at every turn until the first week of August, when a lingering groin injury sidelined him and coach Matt Eberflus sent a pretty clear message.

“If a person’s out for an extended period of time and the player that’s in that position is playing very well, at a starter level, and doing a good job there, then you create the competition,” Eberflus said on Aug. 6. “People say you can’t lose a job because of injury. I don’t think that’s true.

“If the guy that’s playing there gives our team a good look and a good benefit for him being in that position, then it’s a competition. Or the other guy could take it over. That’s not just at guard. That’s at all positions.”

Davis, 28, started the first two games this season, but the groin injury popped up again before the Week 3 game in Indianapolis and Matt Pryor replaced him in the starting lineup. Two weeks later, Murray was summoned as the first man off the bench when Jenkins was injured against the Panthers. A week after that, Davis didn’t get a uniform in London.

The Bears believed Davis would be at minimum a depth piece this season, but with other players healing up, they’ve chosen to move on.

Davis’ $8.75 million base salary this season is fully guaranteed, though there would be an offset for the Bears if another team picks him up. His contract included $19.25 million in guaranteed money, and the Bears will wind up paying most if not all of that.

Davis missed two games early last season after his mother died and another four games after suffering a high ankle sprain. He was only a partial participant in the voluntary offseason workout program in that first year, which is a little unusual after a team rewards a player in free agency.

One source with knowledge of Davis’ history said he didn’t practice for the Tennessee Titans, his former team, “unless everything was right.” That proved to be the case with the Bears, who were drawn to Davis because they believed he was a good fit for their offensive scheme with the ability to move well.

He was part of an effective line in Tennessee that created a lot of holes for running back Derrick Henry, but the availability issues that led the Titans to sour on him were magnified with the Bears.

While general manager Ryan Poles missed on Davis, some of his other signings in a busy 2023 free-agency period have been strong additions. That list begins with defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who already earned a contract extension, and includes defensive end DeMarcus Walker and linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds.

Edwards could be in line for a pay raise after this season as he has outperformed the terms of his three-year, $19.5 million contract.

Poles did well in free agency this year with the signing of free safety Kevin Byard, while running back D’Andre Swift has really come on after a slow start.