Former Bears Remain in Demand as Street Free Agents

The Bears remain away from the free agent market but a few of their former players have surfaced with teams.

Center Sam Mustipher started for 2 1/2 seasons in Chicago and signed with Baltimore after the Bears weren't interested in tendering him an offer as a restricted free agent.

Mustipher essentially became an unrestricted free agent when no restricted tender came his way.

The Ravens gave Mustipher a one-year deal as a potential backup to Tyler Linderbaum and Patrick Mekari.

Mustipher, an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, spent the 2019 season on the Bears practice squad before coming up to the 53-man roster in mid-October to become starting center. He actually was benched last year for 10 plays to begin the Monday Night Football win by the Bears over New England.

However, starter Lucas Patrick suffered a season-ending toe injury and Mustipher went back into the lineup to finish the season. Mustipher started 40 games total and played in 43 with the Bears and left after his best season from a blocking grade standpoint, according to Pro Football Focus. They rated him the 18th best center last season.

Mustipher is from Owing Mills, Md. so it was a homecoming of sorts for him. He signed a one-year deal.

Also, former Bears defensive lineman Lacale London was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as they were cutting former Bears offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. London got into only one Bears game for one defensive play while in Chicago on the practice squad in two seasons.

Ifedi was a starter in 2021 and the Bears did not sign him after he had signed a second one-year deal to play for them in 2021. Ifedi started 23 games for the Bears in two seasons after leaving Seattle as a free agent following the 2019 season.