Bears will release a defensive end after just one season

LAKE FOREST – With the 2022 season officially over, a very important and busy offseason is underway for the Bears.

Just a few days after the Super Bowl, general manager Ryan Poles has reportedly made a decision not to move forward with one of his free agent signings from last season.

Per a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears will be releasing defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad.

He will end up spending just one season with the Bears after they signed him to a two-year, $8 million contract last offseason. Per Spotrac, Muhammad’s contract will have a $500,000 dead cap hit.

A former sixth round draft pick of the Saints out of Miami in 2017, the defensive end was a part of head coach Matt Eberflus’ defense when he was the coordinator with the Colts from 2018-2021.

In his scheme, Muhammad has 11 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, 30 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles in 65 regular season games. He also had a sack and two quarterback hits in three playoff games for Indianapolis.

But during his one season in Chicago, the defensive end didn’t have the same production over the course of 16 games in 2022. He had just one sack and one forced fumble along with three quarterback hits on a defensive line that failed to produce much of a pass rush all season.

The Bears’ 20 sacks in 17 games were the lowest total in the NFL during the 2022 season. That’s why a defensive tackle or a defensive lineman could be on the Bears’ radar early in the 2023 NFL Draft if they should decide to trade down from the No. 1 overall pick.