Word last week was that the Bears would release kicker Cody Parkey after the first year of the four-year deal he signed with the team last year.
In an appearance on NFL Network from the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, head coach Matt Nagy confirmed that Parkey is finished in Chicago. Parkey was 23-of-30 on field goals and 42-of-45 on extra points in his lone season with the Bears.
“We’ve talked to Cody and Cody knows were going to go on in a different direction,” Nagy said. “It was a healthy talk, he took it like a true professional. We wish him the best.”
Parkey’s release will result in over $5 million in dead money on the Chicago cap if he’s a pre-June 1 cut and just over $4 million if he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut, but the team obviously feels that’s less painful than holding onto the kicker who double doinked a potential game-winning kick off the upright and crossbar in January’s playoff loss to the Eagles.