APEarlier this year, some reporters that cover the Bears were pushing for safety Chris Harris to get a contract extension.
Instead, he didn’t even last the season.
Harris revealed via Twitter Thursday morning that the Bears cut him.
“I was just released this morning by the Bears. Thank u for the opp to play football n do what I luv. I’m looking toward my next venture,” Harris wrote. “This Business known as the #NFL is a strange one. Chicago I want to thank u for all the luv u have shown me over the yrs. u will b missed.”
Harris was a second team All Pro selection last year, which now just looks odd. He has a $1.095 million contract and can be claimed by any team. He started three games this year and was inactive for another.
Harris was brought back by the Bears last year to solidify the revolving door at safety for the team. The door continues to spin, and at some point it’s clear that scheme and personnel choices are the biggest problems with the safety play in Chicago.
UPDATE: It’s worth noting that Brandon Meriweather, whom the Bears signed for $3.25 million before the season, hasn’t taken a snap in two weeks.
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Texans, go get him now! Upgrade over Demps who they just signed
He’s a bit long in the tooth for Ted Thomas but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Packers pick him up. GB is thin at safety…
Brandon Meriweather- Pro Bowler. Released, signed, and benched.
Chris Harris- All Pro. Released, re-signed, benched, and released again.
Can we now stop putting so much stock in these “Pro Bowler” and “All-Pro” titles?
Conte is playing better as a rookie than Harris is anyway. Buh-bye.
to the Patriots maybe. You took our garbage, now we can take some of yours.
WTF?
Bengals need to take a good look at this guy. We definitely need help in the secondary.
If Harris was any good, Chicago wouldn’t have let him go the first time. But this is the second time, so he didn’t fit and has a new opportunity to play somewhere else.
He might have been second team all pro last season but so were about 12 others players….everybody on the second team got a sole vote.
he shouldnt be a free agent too long. someone who runs a different scheme should bring him in and at least kick his tires.
pick him up Teddy, we may need him for Christmas day and into the playoffs
Hard to believe this guy goes from a Top 5 safety in 2010 to cut in 2011.
Ah Jerry Angelo, the best thing to happen to the rest of the NFC North in a long time…
making room for TO. LMAO
Get on this Chiefs…we only need him for this year anyway
I bet the pats put a claim in for him, but it’s unlikely he’ll make it that deep into the claim order
I could see GB or Detroit picking him up even if they don’t plan on playing him in the eff you signing of the week
Bring him back to Carolina!
Injured and has gotten old…Nuff said..Great when healthy and hungry though..
Please skins pick this guy up.
Get to work, Tannenbaum.
Maybe my safety deficient Browns will pick him up. So, instead of having to look at the likes of The Great Ray Ventrone I can have a former All-Pro.
I’m just saying, Cleveland. Michael Adams? Usama Young? That is who you have opposite TJ Ward? And The Great Ventrone!
Chris Harris, former 2nd team all-pro safety. Will always be a 1st team all-pro Tweeter.
Seems safe to guess he pushed for his release after losing his starting job. Should get a job shortly, I’d think. Heck, Tampa should give him a look as a potential upgrade from Sean Jones at SS.
Eagles better take advantage of their 2-4 record with a waiver claim here.
dfeltz says: Oct 27, 2011 10:07 AM
If Harris was any good, Chicago wouldn’t have let him go the first time…
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An ordinarily-logical statement but this is Jerry Angelo we’re talking about here, the man who cut a more-successful Thomas Jones in lieu of a then under-performing Cedric Benson simply because CB cost more…
maybe he is playing old, but he isnt really that old. He is 29.
Wow… he may not be playing like a starting-caliber safety this year, but considering the current lack of depth at safety right now this move surprises me. There is little doubt that he is still better than Meriweather and Steltz at this point.
RAMS, we need all the help we can get, especially in the secondary. Get this guy!
This has got to be a personality thing. He asked for a trade first, now he must be acting like a baby or talking trash in the locker room or something.
For that price, you suit him up each week in case your starters get hurt…and play him on goal line and sure run downs in the box. Something is weird here.
Redskins! Please pick this guy up, perfect back up for LaRon Landry and otogwe.. Reed Doughty is a nice guy and all but can’t play coverage if his life depended on it.
anyone in here pining for your team to sign harris clearly hasn’t seen him play this season.
harris is hampered by a hamstring injury, and has been awful in run support (watch the lions game) and even worse in pass coverage (watch the bucs game).
he was a really solid player a few years ago, but he’s lost a step and has become a liability.
lol @scudbot. ted thomas. try ted thompson.
‘Ah Jerry Angelo, the best thing to happen to the rest of the NFC North in a long time…’
The ghost of Matt Millen laughs at your statement.
We Miami Dolphin fans are “happy” with our safeties.
godofwine330 says: Oct 27, 2011 10:26 AM
Maybe my safety deficient Browns will pick him up. So, instead of having to look at the likes of The Great Ray Ventrone I can have a former All-Pro.
I’m just saying, Cleveland. Michael Adams? Usama Young? That is who you have opposite TJ Ward? And The Great Ventrone!
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I like Pops Adams, he’s versatile. Though maybe that isn’t as important under Jauron as it was under Ryan. Ward is s stud though you are right. Doubt the Browns want Harris, he isn’t a pass coverage type guy and that strikes me as more what they would need over another thumper like Ward & Harris.
Detroit we need this guy…our secondary is weak and he will just help especially with houstn out with back problems…….and calling it a personality issue…he just said thanks and blah blah..people don’t know what there talking bout..and clearing cap space for t.o. guy only made a lil over a mil t.o. is a 10 year vet he qualifies for the vet minimum which I believe is more than that.
Texans could use him for sure.
Bucs could use him, but won’t.
I am shocked by the sudden decline of this guy. He was a difference maker for the Bears last year and this year he is terrible.
For any of you guys that want your team to pick him up, have you watched him play this season. He is slow, can’t tackle, takes poor angles, and quarterbacks are able to look him out of position with ease. Even when he gets a clear path to the ball carrier, he usually runs past him without even getting within an arms length. This guy is toast and should move on to life after football.
welcome back to Carolina!!
I’m not especially familiar with Harris, but if he can tackle I’d take him on the Pats and let Josh Barrett shoulder check his way to the curb.
I am calling it right here, he goes to the Chiefs or the Skins. 2 potentially contending (Yes i said that with a straight face) teams with injured safeties who only need him for the rest of this year.
An ordinarily-logical statement but this is Jerry Angelo we’re talking about here, the man who cut a more-successful Thomas Jones in lieu of a then under-performing Cedric Benson simply because CB cost more…
————
Bears traded jones to move up in the second round
I know packer fans struggle with literacy, but do your research before shooting your mouth off.
And Harris was horrible against the lions and bucs. I hope the packers do sign him and start him.
I’ll admit that I don’t know much about Chris Harris as a player. The few times a year I see the Bears play, I’m not focusing on their safety play.
But since we are always so quick to jump all over players when they say stupid things on Twitter, how about we take a moment to recognize the class and grace Harris showed when tweeting about his release?
Going out of your way to thank the fans is not the typical reaction of a player who just got dumped.
Kudos to you, Mr. Harris.
The bears didn’t release him “the first time” The Panthers traded for him. Then before last season when they were getting rid of all the vets he was traded back to The Bears. Get your facts straight people lol!
Memo to the Minnesota Vikings: You need safety help very badly.
The addition of Chris Harris would significantly upgrade your secondary, especially since you don’t currently have a safety on your roster that would be anything but a third stringer on any of the 31 other clubs.
Sign Harris TODAY.
sepl12 says:Oct 27, 2011 10:16 AM
I bet the pats put a claim in for him, but it’s unlikely he’ll make it that deep into the claim order
I’m fuzzy on the whole “availability of an NFL player being released thing”.
Its different than MLB right ? The guy becomes
a free agent and allowed to sign with any team
he wants ?
Anyone ? Anyone ? Bueller ? Anyone ?
RP-
Harris is an awesome person in good times bad, there’s no doubt about that. I feel for him.
*in good times AND in bad*
d’oh
I don’t trust the Bears at all when it comes to personnel decisions. He isn’t great in coverage but I thought he was a good enough safety, weird to cut him right now. This is the same team that doesn’t know how to construct an offensive line and hands awful Roy Williams a starting job over Johnny Knox.
He’ll be an Eagle in time for Sunday’s game against Dallas.
is this the beginning of Terrell Owens in Chicago
@unbreakable02215:
When a player is cut, he is put on waivers. Teams have 24 hours to put a claim on him. If there are multiple claims, the team claiming him that has the worse record will get him. Any team claiming him would be responsible to pay him under his current contract.
After that, he becomes a free agent.
Is it possible he was one of the ringleaders of the contract talk/extension in the lockerroom and eliminating him could resolve that issue? I think there are some members of management that are thin skinned. Oh well, time to go to the Saftey vinyard.
Rams, right now.
asublimeday says: Oct 27, 2011 11:17 AM
Bears traded jones to move up in the second round
___________________________
Then they traded down with San Diego and chose:
Dan Bazuin
Garrett Wolfe
Kevin Payne
Marcus Harrison
How’d those Angelo picks work out for you guys?
realitypolice says:Oct 27, 2011 12:05 PM
Thank You Mr. Spiccoli.
Bring him back to Carolina, NOW!!!
Colts or Dolphins?
They both need help and a win!
Can the Raiders still trade for him. Oh wait, they already yard their 1st round pick.
After watching the best safety we have leave Greg Jennings all alone for a walk-in 79-yard TD, I’d say this guy would probably be an upgrade.
is this the beginning of Terrell Owens in Chicago?
What could be more perfect?
Mike Martz wants to throw it on every down, no matter what.
T.O. wants it thrown to him on every down, no matter what.
It’s a match made in heaven.
Rookie Chris Conte from the CAL Bears has really performed well for the Chicago Bears. He’s always around the ball and has a motor that won’t quit. Combine his good attitude/good play and he’s a big upgrade over Harris and Merriweather who were becoming cancers in the locker room.
He’ll sign somewhere I would think.
how can they release him? hes a 91 in madden!
Lions……….go get him!
Welcome to Minnesota !!!!
why would they do that he was a ballhog he had like 7 interceptons and he has 4 this season
I love the Bears but this is further proof they don’t know what they’re doing. Not a clue.
How can any player in the locker room over at Halas Hall have any feeling of security when this guy goes from starter to being released on a Thursday before a game! (and after a win the previous Sunday!).
Ring-Ring
“Hello?”
“Hi, Chris? Leslie Frazier. How ya doin’?”
It seems like he was just unhappy there. He was known as somewhat of a locker room leader here in Carolina, the team spoke highly of him even after his trade. Harris would be a solid addition to any defense. I’d love to have him back in Caroilna! Hitman Pt.2!!!
i dont see aj pulling this one, but maybe the chargers should take a look? bob sanders is gone and i dont see steve gregory being the full time safety for long
aaronp2098 says: Oct 27, 2011 10:18 AM
I could see GB or Detroit picking him up even if they don’t plan on playing him in the eff you signing of the week
Not the type of move Ted Thompson would make. Woodson and Bush can both play saftey, We have a good developmental player they brought off the practice squad. When Morgan Burnett’s season ended last year we didn’t add anyone.
Harris is a two deep tampa 2 type saftey and doesn’t cover well enough to play the way Capers plays his saftey’s
why would they do that he was a ballhog he had like 7 interceptons and he has 4 this season
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1) It’s “ballhawk” not hog
2) He has exactly ZERO interceptions this year, and has not looked good. You want him? Take him.
Mark my words. The colts will pick him up. He plays the same defense. Bullitt is the new bob sanders. Oh yeah and we have the worse record, so sorry. Harris we’ll see you here in Indy later this week. Man I can’t wait for next year to get here so manning can dominate the league once again.