The deal is done, and the biggest free agent of the 2010 off-season is going to Chicago: Julius Peppers is a Bear.
Although the team hasn’t formally announced it yet, ESPN reports that a six-year deal is done. Adam Schefter reported that the Bears are expected to pay Peppers $40 million in the first three years.
The Bears will be expecting big things from Peppers, who has 81 sacks in his NFL career, which began in 2002. That’s the third-most in the NFL during that time, behind only Jason Taylor and Dwight Freeney.
For the Bears (who also signed Brandon Manumaleuna and Chester Taylor on a huge first day of free agency), it’s a sign that they’re serious about winning, and winning now. After the disaster that was the Bears’ 2009 season, that’s a sign the fans of Chicago needed to see.