Former Packers Safety M.D. Jennings Signs with the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears announced on Wednesday they've signed former Green Bay Packers safety M.D. Jennings.
Following his third season in the NFL, Jennings was scheduled to be a restricted free agent, but when the Packers didn't offer him a tender by Tuesday's deadline, he was free to sign with any NFL team.
Jennings was a big reason the Packers experienced a very poor season at the safety position this past season, failing to get a single interception from any player.
Starting all 16 games, Jennings made a career-high 74 tackles, had one sack and only one pass defensed while taking part in 855 snaps, according to ProFootballFocus.com.
The Packers will now be looking for a safety to plug next to Morgan Burnett and replace Jennings in the starting lineup. Many of the options available in free agency, however, are now gone after a flurry of activity on the first day of the new league year. Players like Jairus Byrd, T.J. Ward and Mike Mitchell all found new teams.
In-house possibilities at the position include Sean Richardson, who started to steal away playing time from Jennings last season. Head coach Mike McCarthy also called Micah Hyde "an option" to play at safety after sticking at cornerback his rookie season.
Chris Banjo will be back in the mix after previously signing a one-year deal as an exclusive rights free agent earlier this season.
Barring a mid-tier signing like Chris Clemons, who's still available in free agency, the Packers may have to look toward the NFL Draft and perhaps as high as the first round. Some of the top safeties in this year's draft class include Deone Bucannon of Washington State, Calvin Pryor of Louisville and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of Alabama.
The Packers will face Jennings twice next season as a member of a division rival, although they didn't make a long-term commitment to Jennings, signing him for just one year.
Comments (25)
DrealynWilliams
March 12, 2014 at 01:32 pm
I'll save my "many thanks" until the Bears actually have him starting week 1 of the regular season (which I highly doubt).
HankScorpio
March 12, 2014 at 05:58 pm
It's enough for me that they took the temptation to re-sign Jennings away from the Packers.
Bugeater
March 12, 2014 at 01:34 pm
Talk about a win/win!
Bugeater
March 12, 2014 at 01:35 pm
Also, nice to know that The Bears Still...well, you know.
Irish_Cheesehead
March 12, 2014 at 01:37 pm
Wow! What film were they watching? Now we are guaranteed to have someone else starting opposite Burnett.
Jordan
March 12, 2014 at 01:57 pm
The film they were watching was Randall Cobb and Aaron Rodgers beating their safety and humanely ending their 2013 season.
Bears need safety help. MD Jennings probably did well against Packers offense in practice. ;)
White92
March 12, 2014 at 01:47 pm
Clemons is a DE, no?
Evan
March 12, 2014 at 01:49 pm
There are 2 Chris Clemonses.
A Dolphins safety and a Seahawks DE (just released).
White92
March 12, 2014 at 01:55 pm
ahh..thanks
hybridauth_Facebook_100004084225446
March 12, 2014 at 01:51 pm
THINGS LOOKING UP NOW
gary
March 12, 2014 at 02:06 pm
I hope more teams sign our free agents . Maybe then will get better players to put on the field. But I guess by then there won't be any quality left. Same old story in green bay.
jmac34
March 12, 2014 at 02:15 pm
Easily the best news of the FA period so far. GB can no longer be tempted to bring him back to start so thank you Chicago
TarynsEyes
March 12, 2014 at 02:24 pm
Physicians demand the Chicago Bears apologize for the misleading job offer.
L
March 12, 2014 at 07:33 pm
I mentioned this about MD.Jennings under the Mike Neal/Bears article:
I have to wonder if part of the reasoning behind their (Bears) signing him is because they can pick his brain for information about Don Capers' Defense since MD Jennings was a starter with plenty of experience within his system. I can't get any info on the deal because of web-page blocks here, but was there any guaranteed money in the signing? If not, no real risk to them given that they can leave him off the 53 and suffer pretty much zero financial consequences and yet gain an off-season of absorbing what he knows about the Packers system. Under that form of thinking, it's a pretty clever signing by da Bears.
4thand1
March 12, 2014 at 03:38 pm
Teams are insane. Denver has mortgaged the farm. They in it for now, "right now". How many more players will be cut in New Orleans? Browns cut one good safety and sign an older one for more $$$. Raiders let good players go with a ton of $$$ to spend. Miami is nuts. Atlanta is buying everyone.
Idiot Fan
March 12, 2014 at 04:00 pm
The Broncos are very interesting. I don't remember such a blatant "all in" since ..... ever? It will be fun to see how it plays out. In about one year, or maybe two, they are going to have serious problems...
4thand1
March 12, 2014 at 04:14 pm
They remind me on of the Redskins and George Allen. The over the hill gang. Made it to the SB and got beaten down by a young Dolphin team.
HankScorpio
March 12, 2014 at 05:57 pm
When Manning goes away, they are going to be hurting anyways. Suddenly those pass catchers won't look as good. RBs will find less room to run. So it makes a little bit of sense in their situation.
But the pain of clearing the cap will make the fanbase very restless if they are not looking back fondly at a Lombardi trophy. And they would be the first team to ever buy one via FA.
4thand1
March 12, 2014 at 04:17 pm
I wonder what will become of Peppers? All that big $$$$$ and didn't do shit for thebearsstillsuck. Those are the type of players for cowpie.
L
March 12, 2014 at 07:34 pm
Well in defense of the Bears originally signing Peppers, he did help get them to the NFC Championship game where they lost to the Packers. Also, he was a major defensive force for the first 2-3 years of his time there and was still arguably someone who had to be factored for last year even if it was obvious that his abilities had declined (likely due to age); so, in fairness it wasn't as if he was a completely horrid FA acquisition by the Bears, but they'll likely be feeling some of the financial pain of his contract due to the so-called remaining "dead money" from it for the next few years.
Ruppert
March 12, 2014 at 05:59 pm
Love to see Jennings with Chicago. Hard be believe he's an upgrade over anybody that could fog a mirror. Congrats, Bums.
I was hoping he would amount to something so I could refer to him as "Dr. J.," but unfortunately his career highlight reel consists of one unmentionable play.
And I couldn't insult the real Dr. J. with a reference to this idiot.
TommyG
March 12, 2014 at 06:04 pm
Alright Bears! Thank you! Now we can't resign him in the off-season!!!!
Thegreatreynoldo
March 13, 2014 at 03:09 am
No terms are available. Maybe Chicago signed him for special teams and as a back up S. If he somehow finds the field as a safety, It will be interesting to see how he fares. That is, can he play in a system that is less complex or can he be coached up?
Fishin Crane
March 13, 2014 at 03:51 am
On touched ball in 16 games as starting safety. That seems almost impossible to do.
Signing Shields, bad for Cutler; Signing Jennings, good for Rodgers.
lou
March 13, 2014 at 04:26 pm
Rodgers/WR's must be doing cartwheels, no Peppers, no Tillman, an aging Briggs, and a combo of Conte & M. D. Jennings in centerfield - Rodgers to become the new Daryl Lamonica - "the Mad Bomber".