The Chicago Bears didn’t explicitly say that kicker Cody Parkey would be cut this offseason, but according to several reports Friday, it does appear that they are getting ready to move on.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears are working out several kickers, including former Jets kicker Nick Folk, on Friday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reports that the Bears brought in veteran kickers Blair Walsh and Austin MacGinnis, among several other potential candidates for the job.
Parkey, who famously missed a game-winning kick in the NFC Wild Card Round this season, is under contract for three more seasons in Chicago, but could be cut if the team is willing to carry a dead salary cap hit of around $4.5 million for the coming year.
It’s unclear how the Bears could approach their kicking position, as former kicker Robbie Gould is set to become a free agent, but the team could also address the spot in the draft or with any of the veteran unsigned players they brought through Halas Hall on Friday.
If the Bears opt to go with a free agent who ended the season on an NFL roster, they will need to wait until the league year begins in March before they can begin negotiations.
