The Bears on Tuesday tendered one-year contracts to all three of their exclusive rights free agents: center Sam Mustipher, tight end Jesper Horsted and tackle Lachavious Simmons.
Exclusive rights free agents are players with two or fewer accrued NFL seasons who can only negotiate and sign with their original team.
Mustipher started all 17 games at center last season and has appeared in 26 games with 24 starts over the past two years. He originally joined the Bears in 2019 as an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame and spent his rookie season on the practice squad.
Horsted also joined the Bears in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. The Princeton product appeared in six games with one start as a rookie, catching eight passes for 87 yards and one TD. After spending the 2020 season on the practice squad, he played in seven contests last year, all as a reserve, and caught two passes—both for touchdowns of 19 and 2 yards.
Simmons was selected by the Bears in the seventh round of the 2020 draft out of Tennessee State. He played in his first two NFL games last season, including one start at right tackle Oct. 24 in Tampa.
Take a look at the Bears players who have re-signed with the team to continue their careers in Chicago, players from the 2021 roster who are currently free agents and the players who have signed with other teams.
OL Alex Bars
Signed with Las Vegas Raiders
DB Artie Burns
Signed with Seattle Seahawks
DB Deon Bush
Unrestricted Free Agent
WR Damiere Byrd
Unrestricted Free Agent
DB Marqui Christian
Unrestricted Free Agent
DB Xavier Crawford
Restricted Free Agent
QB Andy Dalton
Agreed to terms with New Orleans Saints (March 29)
OL James Daniels
Signed with Pittsburgh Steelers
DB Tashaun Gipson Sr.
Unrestricted Free Agent
WR Marquise Goodwin
Unrestricted Free Agent
TE Jimmy Graham
Unrestricted Free Agent
WR/returner Jakeem Grant Sr.
Agreed to terms with Cleveland Browns
DL Akiem Hicks
Unrestricted Free Agent
TE J.P. Holtz
Restricted Free Agent
TE Jesper Horsted
Signed to one-year contract (April 4)
DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
Re-signed to one-year contract (March 20)
DL Margus Hunt
Unrestricted Free Agent
OL Germain Ifedi
Signed with Atlanta Falcons (April 7)
LB Bruce Irvin
Unrestricted Free Agent
LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Signed with Seattle Seahawks
TE Jesse James
Unrestricted Free Agent
LB Christian Jones
Unrestricted Free Agent
LB Cassius Marsh Sr.
Unrestricted Free Agent
OL Sam Mustipher
Tendered one-year contract (March 8)
RB Ryan Nall
Signed with Dallas Cowboys (April 8)
DL Bilal Nichols
Signed with Las Vegas Raiders
P Pat O'Donnell
Signed with Green Bay Packers
LB Alec Ogletree
Unrestricted Free Agent
OL Jason Peters
Unrestricted Free Agent
WR Allen Robinson II
Agreed to terms with Los Angeles Rams
LS Patrick Scales
Signed to one-year contract extension through 2022 (March 16)
OL Lachavious Simmons
Re-signed to one-year contract (March 16)
DB Teez Tabor
Signed with Atlanta Falcons
OL Elijah Wilkinson
Signed with Atlanta Falcons
RB Damien Williams
Signed with Atlanta Falcons
