Bears take chance on DL McDonald
Lake Forest, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Ray McDonald, released by the San Francisco 49ers in December following allegations of sexual assault, has found a new home in free agency.
The Chicago Bears announced Tuesday that the team has agreed to terms with the controversial defensive lineman on a one-year contract.
McDonald’s eight-year tenure with the 49ers came to an abrupt end after San Jose police served a search warrant on the player’s home on Dec. 16 in regards to a possible sexual assault. Though no charges have been filed, the team released McDonald the next day.
The 30-year-old had been previously arrested on domestic violence charges back in August following an altercation with his fiancee at a party in McDonald’s home. The 49ers publicly stood by McDonald, allowing him to continue to play while the investigation was ongoing, and the case was later dropped in November due to a lack of evidence.
ESPN reported Tuesday that Bears chairman George McCaskey ultimately gave his approval to sign McDonald after meeting with the veteran for two hours at the team’s headquarters.
The move reunites McDonald with his former defensive coordinator in San Francisco, Vic Fangio, who joined new Bears head coach John Fox’s staff during the offseason after being bypassed for the 49ers’ head coaching job.
McDonald had started 59 regular-season games and eight postseason contests for the 49ers over the past four years, compiling 14 1/2 sacks over that span and registering at least 37 tackles in each of those seasons.
The Bears also brought in another experienced defensive lineman on Tuesday, agreeing to terms with former Redskin Jarvis Jenkins on a one-year deal.
Jenkins started 14 games and recorded 29 tackles for Washington last season and owns 33 career starts over a four-year career. The 26-year-old was a second-round draft choice of the Redskins in 2011.
Categorized in: NFL
Tags: Bears, Chicago, Chicago Bears