Chicago Bears’ Rumors: Alshon Jeffery Upset With Bears Over Contract Talks

Time is running out for star receiver Alshon Jeffery and the Chicago Bears. The Pro Bowler and the Bears have just about a week before they must cease all contract talks. The deadline for players who were hit with the NFL franchise tag is July 15. If nothing happens between now and next Friday, not much will change as they will still get paid, just not from long-term deals.

All of the NFL players who still have the franchise tag designation must play under an earmarked slot, according to their positions. Each franchise-tagged player must still participate in all of the team’s mandatory workouts and training functions. Fines get levied for those who do not appear.

The Bears’ Alshon Jeffery was one of 10 NFL players who were given the franchise tag this offseason, according to NFL.com. Jeffery is one of the seven players who have not signed a long-term deal.

There a few NFL All-Pros who remain resigned to the one-year tender offers. The list includes Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller, quarterback Kirk Cousins, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, kicker Justin Tucker, and defensive backs Eric Berry and Trumaine Johnson. It is possible that all or neither of the franchise-tagged players will reach agreements before the July 15 deadline.

Broncos, Von Miller haven't had their Friday discussion yet; it's too early to call either side anything but curious https://t.co/zi6YNrVDHL

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 8, 2016

There has been dialogue between each team and the players. Some conversations have progressed to the point where most people believe a deal will get struck.

Pro Football Talk is reporting that Von Miller is expected to have a meeting of the minds with the Denver Broncos today. It is the hope that he and the Broncos agree to terms on a long-term deal.

It will not come as a surprise if Von Miller and the Broncos hammer out a new before the end of the weekend. The situation with the Broncos and Miller is a different case than Alshon Jeffery and the Chicago Bears.

Von Miller is considered one of the top five defensive players in the NFL. He is an irreplaceable player in the Broncos’ eyes. The Bears want to feel the same way about Alshon Jeffery, and they believe that a deal in the $11-12 million range is the ideal annual amount for him.

That would put Jeffery just above the annual average of the receivers who recently received increases in salary such as Alan Hurns and Doug Baldwin. Jeffery’s accomplishments justify having higher earnings than both Hurns and Baldwin. This has led to the current acrimony between him and the Bears.

Jeffery feels that he is a better player and the Bears should pay him as such.

NFL.com’s Mike Garapolo is citing that both Alshon Jeffery and the Bears are far apart in negotiations that comes down to money. Garapolo believes that the Bears have no confidence in a deal getting done before the deadline of 3 p.m. eastern time. That would guarantee Jeffery playing under the $14.6 million franchise tag amount for the Bears.

Alshon Jeffery wants a long-term deal, with financial security at what he thinks is a fair contract. Obviously, the Bears want to sign him to terms that would allow them to add on to the roster next season. If the Bears can convince him to take a deal of four years and $50 million, that could qualify as a happy medium.

Chicago Bears, Alshon Jeffery far apart on long-term deal: https://t.co/Hu3ZJ1vHw4 (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/SEasOwjFjm

— NFL (@NFL) July 8, 2016

It is a win-win for Jeffery and the Bears if the guaranteed money is in the ballpark of $28-30 million. A smaller guaranteed figure of $24 million should also work if there are some obtainable bonuses put into place. The Bears could include incentives such as total games played, amount of catches made, and escalators for the yards Jeffery gains, beginning with a low bar of 750 yards.

For the Bears to offer that deal, it has to be done with the idea of a good faith effort. But it has to be a joint venture. It is on the Bears to convince Alshon Jeffery that Chicago is where he wants to be. As of now, Jeffery wants to finish playing under franchise tag contract with the Bears and hit free agency.

In the coming days it will be revealed whether or not Jeffery wants to play for the Bears long-term. Jeffery deserves a new deal with an average annual salary of at least $12 million. He should have received a raise while he was on his rookie contract. The Bears, under the guidance of a different regime, could have avoided this problem all along when Jeffery outperformed his Bears’ rookie contract after his second season.

An increase would have spared the Chicago Bears from being in this situation they are in now, and Alshon Jeffery might be a little happier today.

[Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images]