Why Kendall Fuller could be a sneaky good pickup for the Bears |
Dustin Riese
· · 5 hours ago
As we inch closer to Training Camp, which starts in less than a month, the Chicago Bears are still in a position where they would love to bolster their roster. Most of that would come in the form of depth purposes as their starting 11 on both sides of the ball appear to be nearly set in stone, barring any injuries.
One of the decisions the Bears are trying to make is whether to bring in another veteran for their secondary room to help mentor the young players in Chicago. To be clear, Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Jaquon Brisker aren't considered young anymore when it comes to NFL experience, but they are still young and haven't won many games up to this point in their career. Adding anyone with a winning attitude is something you can't teach, and most locker rooms would love to have someone like that around in any capacity. There are several players that the Bears are starting to kick the tires on, but the one that is beginning to pop up more frequently is veteran defensive back Kendall Fuller. For those familiar with the name Fuller, Kendall is the younger brother of former Bears safety Kyle Fuller, who had a successful run with the Bears during his time here. Kendall is entering his age-30 season this year and brings with him not only nine years of NFL experience, but is also a versatile player with Super Bowl experience under his belt. Even if his best years are behind him, Fuller is still at a point in his career where he has something left in the tank. Given his versatility to play either safety or corner, combined with his solid mentorship abilities, he would be the perfect low-cost pickup to add depth to this defense. Like his brother, who was known as one of the hardest-hitting safeties of his time, Kendall plays with the same toughness as he isn't afraid to make his presence felt on the field. The former Virginia Tech star was considered an elite defensive back during his time in college, yet he slipped to the third round of the draft before the Washington Commanders took him with pick No. 84. Despite starting just 12 games in his first two seasons with Washington, Fuller played in 26 games and was a very productive player, coming away with 13 pass breakups and four interceptions, all of which occurred during his second season in the league. Even with that success, Fuller found himself on the way out of town as he was traded to the Chiefs ahead of his third season and was once again forced to try and carve out a starting role. Not only did he emerge as a starter, but he arguably put together his most complete season that year, as he finished the season with 82 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and two interceptions. Fuller was off to an equally good start the following season before having his year cut short due to injury, thus ending his time with the Chiefs. The following offseason, Fuller found himself back in Washington, where he agreed to a four-year contract with the Commanders. During those four years, Fuller played in at least 14 games every year, averaging 66 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and 10 total interceptions. To say he was productive would be an understatement, as he was often overlooked when it came to some of the better defensive backs in the game. Last season, Fuller found himself on the free agent market again and was forced to settle for a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. Although he played in just 11 games, Fuller was still very productive, finishing the season with 50 tackles and seven pass breakups. That gives him 536 tackles, 82 pass breakups, and 16 interceptions across his career, with two of those interceptions being returned for touchdowns. As mentioned above, Fuller's best days may be behind him, but last season he continued to show that he still has plenty of value left in him. For a team, especially a defense with high expectations in 2025, adding a veteran presence like Fuller could be the perfect pickup, as he would be another weapon for Dennis Allen to employ where needed.
