Bears, 1st-round pick Kyle Fuller reach contract agreement
Chicago became the first team to ink its top pick, getting Fuller in the fold quickly.
Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
On Wednesday, the Chicago Bears and first-round pick Kyle Fuller came to terms on a contract, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
The deal is for four years with a built-in fifth year option for the team. Financial terms were not disclosed, but it is expected to be worth $9.6 million with a $5.4 million signing bonus, per Biggs and Rich Campbell of the Tribune.
Chicago has been very aggressive in signing its draft picks, inking third-round selection Will Sutton on Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With that move, the Bears signed their whole class less than a week after the draft began. The Bears are taking advantage of the rookie wage scale, something that came into effect with the last collective bargaining agreement in 2011.
Under the scale, teams know how much they are going to have to pay a player based on the spot he was drafted at. Each year, the money might fluctuate a little, but generally the cost will be very comparable to the season before. Prior to the scale being put in, first round picks were routinely signed either right before or during camp, with agents holding their clients out in hope of getting more guaranteed money.
Forbes Magazine projects Jadeveon Clowney of the Houston Texans, the first overall pick, will make $22,272,998 on his first deal, all guaranteed. While that money is certainly life-changing, it is a far cry from the six-year, $78 million deal with $50 million in guarantees that Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams signed after becoming 2010's No. 1 pick.
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