The Bears on Wednesday agreed to a one-year contract extension with veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.
Ifedi, 26, originally signed with the Bears last year after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Seahawks. After starting the first 10 games at right guard in 2020, the 6-5, 340-pounder was moved to right tackle as part of a reconfigured line that helped jump-start the Bears offense.
The other moves included installing Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars as starters at center and right guard, respectively, and moving Cody Whitehair from center to left guard.
After making the changes during the bye week, the Bears scored at least 30 points in four straight games for the first time since 1965. They also generated 19 touchdowns in five games and averaged 33.0 points and 387.4 yards. In their seven previous contests, they were limited to nine TDs and averaged 16.7 points and 272.1 yards.
Ifedi was selected by the Seahawks with the 31st pick in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Texas A&M. He started all 60 games he appeared in over four seasons, helping Seattle earn three playoff berths.
Ifedi started 13 games at right guard as a rookie in 2016 before moving to right tackle in 2017. Over the next three seasons he started 46 games at right tackle and one at right guard. The one at right guard came in the 2018 finale when he replaced the injured D.J. Fluker.
Veteran Bobby Massie, who started the first eight games at right tackle last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, will not return in 2021 after the Bears declined to exercise a club option.
Massie, 31, spent the past five seasons with the Bears, starting all 64 games he played. The 6-6, 325-pounder opened 46 of 48 games in his first three years in Chicago from 2016-18, but injuries limited him to 18 contests the past two seasons. Massie signed with the Bears in 2016 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Cardinals, appearing in 54 games with 46 starts. He was selected by Arizona in the fourth round of the 2012 draft out of Mississippi.
Ifedi is the fourth Bears player to agree to a contract extension in the past week, following kicker Cairo Santos, punter Pat O'Donnell and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr..
