Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery might be looking at playing the 2016 season under the franchise tag.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Bears and Jeffery remain far apart on negotiating a long-term deal ahead of the July 15th deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign new deals.
“There’s not a lot of confidence,” Garafolo said. “I sense that both sides really don’t feel strongly about this one. That’s because Alshon Jeffery’s got a $14.6 million tag. The Bears wanted to come in a couple of million below that.”
The receiver market has been reset this offseason, with Allen Hurns, Keenan Allen and Doug Baldwin all agreeing to long-term extensions worth over $10 million per season. Those deals are complicating negotiations between Jeffery and the Bears.
“They are telling people around the league that they’re not confident a deal is going to get done, because Jeffery sees himself as a prototypical No. 1 receiver that deserves to make more than those guys,” Garafolo said.
Jeffery signed the one-year, $14.599 million franchise tag in March.
A second-round pick of the Bears in 2012, Jeffery established himself as a go-to pass-catcher during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He caught over 80 passes both years, while totaling over 2,500 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
However, Jeffery missed six games to injury as a rookie and seven more last season, which is now giving the Bears pause on pursuing a massive extension with Chicago’s top offensive playmaker.
Over four seasons, Jeffery has produced 252 catches, 3,728 yards and 24 touchdowns. He is expected to form a potentially devastating one-two punch with 2014 first-round pick Kevin White, who is returning from missing his entire rookie season.
But don’t expect Jeffery—who would become a free agent next offseason if no deal gets done before July 15—to take a Chicago discount.
“If this deal gets done, it’s at Jeffery’s number,” Garafolo said. “Not a lot of confidence right now though.”
