Former Lions cornerback Desmond Trufant signing one-year deal with Bears

Former Detroit Lions cornerback Desmond Trufant won’t have to move too far after being released by the team earlier this week. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Trufant is being signed by the Lions’ NFC North foe, the Chicago Bears to a one-year deal.

The Lions originally signed Trufant to a two-year deal in the hopes his veteran leadership could help mitigate the damage from the inevitable Darius Slay trade. Unfortunately, Trufant’s one year with the Lions was filled with injuries and below-average play. Detroit opted to cut ties with him this offseason, saving nearly $6.2 million in cap space.

The Bears are in a similar spot this season. Chicago is expected to cut or trade No. 1 cornerback Kyle Fuller in a move that will save them at least $11 million in cap space. Therefore, they need someone to come in and immediately keep the play at cornerback at an acceptable level. However, Trufant played in just six games last year, and he’ll be 31 early into the 2021 NFL season.

With just a one-year deal, the Bears aren’t asking Trufant to come in and be part of the future, but rather keep the boat afloat for one more year, as head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace try to keep their jobs.