Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
When NFL free agency opened its doors in March, the Chicago Bears kicked things off by agreeing to terms on a 3-year, $40.5 million deal with former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi.
First-year general manager Ryan Poles had found the perfect 3-technique for head coach Matt Eberflus’ new defensive scheme, and fans were excited about the energetic, fiery Ogunjobi.
However, after a failed physical, Ogunjobi’s deal with the Bears ended up falling through and Poles had to make the difficult decision of letting that contract fall apart. The Bears went on to sign free agents Justin Jones and Al-Quadin Muhammad to bolster their defensive line depth, but the loss of Ogunjobi stung. He was an ascending player coming off a career year. It was a tough pill to swallow.
A recent instagram post by Ogunjobi, though, might signal that the Bears are not done with him.
Larry Ogunjobi recently posted photos of a workout featuring Chicago Bears equipment, signaling a possible reunion.
The post by Ogunjobi showed him lifting weights with Bears equipment, which caused a lot of fans to wonder if he had been in the building again.
After the original deal fell through, Poles called it “emotionally draining” and talked about how difficult it was to have to let him go. However, he did not rule out the possibility of bringing him back in later on.
Now that Ogunjobi’s instagram post has gotten the attention of Bears fans, and likely Bears media, one can only wonder if the Bears coaching staff, along with Poles, will face questions about his status with the team this week.
If the Bears were to somehow agree to yet another deal with Ogunjobi before the 2022 NFL Draft, it would strongly help Poles’ draft strategy. The Bears’ defensive line would look a lot better with both Ogunjobi and Jones on board, allowing Poles more flexibility this weekend in the draft.
Last year with the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, Ogunjobi finished with 7.0 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss and 16 quarterback hits — all career highs. Prior to this foot issue, Ogunjobi had actually been very healthy over his career.
The 27-year-old just might be on his way back to Chicago after all, if these hints mean anything. Let’s hope for Ogunjobi’s sake, and the Bears’ defense sake, that a second chance can come to fruition between the two sides in the near future.