Bears

Bears tender 1-year contracts to Sam Mustipher, Jesper Horsted, Lachavious Simmons

By Sean Hammond
Chicago Bears offensive lineman Sam Mustipher warms up before the Bears' game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Chicago.

Sam Mustipher Bears offensive lineman Sam Mustipher warms up before a game against the Houston Texans on Dec. 13, 2020, in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

The Bears have tendered one-year contracts to three exclusive rights free agents Tuesday. Center Sam Mustipher, tight end Jesper Horsted and offensive tackle Lachavious Simmons will all return to the Bears in 2022.

An exclusive rights free agent is a player whose contracts is up, but who has accrued two or fewer NFL seasons. He can negotiate only with the team who holds his exclusive rights.

Mustipher, Horsted and Simmons were the only exclusive rights free agents this offseason for the Bears.

Mustipher started all 17 games for the team last season. He has appeared in 26 games with 24 starts over the past two seasons. Prior to that, he spent the 2019 season on the Bears’ practice squad after going undrafted out of Notre Dame.

Horsted played in seven games last season as a backup. He caught two passes, which both went for touchdowns. He signed as an undrafted rookie in 2019 out of Princeton. He played in six games as a rookie and then spent 2020 on the practice squad.

Simmons is a 2020 seventh-round draft pick out of Tennessee State. He appeared in two games last season.

[ Bears decline to use franchise tag, paving way for Allen Robinson to test free agency ]

Chicago Bears
Sean Hammond

Sean Hammond

Sean is the Chicago Bears beat reporter for the Shaw Local News Network. He has covered the Bears since 2020. Prior to writing about the Bears, he covered high school sports for the Northwest Herald and contributed to Friday Night Drive. Sean joined Shaw Media in 2016.