Chicago Bears not signing Larry Ogunjobi after failed bodily

LAKE FOREST, Unwell. — Free-agent defensive deal with Larry Ogunjobi, who agreed to a three-year deal earlier this week, is not going to be signing with the Chicago Bears after failing his bodily, the group introduced Friday.

Ogunjobi was Chicago’s largest acquisition to date in free company, having agreed to a contract Monday price $40.5 million with $26.35 million assured, sources instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Bears introduced the group had agreed to phrases with Ogunjobi shortly after the brand new league yr began Wednesday however had not formally introduced his signing.

Ogunjobi was set to talk with native media members at Halas Corridor on Friday morning as Chicago launched its high three free brokers, together with heart Lucas Patrick and linebacker Nicholas Morrow.

Nevertheless, common supervisor Ryan Poles stated the deal fell aside after Ogunjobi failed “a regular and thorough bodily and medical overview.”

“As I stated earlier than, Larry Ogunjobi embodies all the things we’re searching for in a Bear. He’s a particular particular person and participant,” Poles stated. “… Sadly, we’re not signing him immediately. That is tough and it’s emotional for everybody concerned, however in the end is what’s in the very best curiosity of defending the Chicago Bears.”

Although the Bears didn’t specify what led the defensive deal with’s failed bodily, Ogunjobi underwent surgical procedure to restore a proper foot damage sustained within the third quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals‘ wild-card win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He tweeted Jan. 20 that his surgical procedure was “successful.”

Dropping out on Ogunjobi is a substantial blow to the Bears protection, which options Angelo Blackson and Mario Edwards Jr. at defensive finish and Khyiris Tonga at defensive deal with. Shortly after the Bears introduced Ogunjobi’s failed bodily, they discovered a alternative at three-technique and are signing former Los Angeles Chargers defensive deal with Justin Jones to a two-year deal, a supply instructed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Jones, a three-year starter with the Chargers, had three sacks and 19 tackles in 11 video games final season.

Ogunjobi, who returns to the free-agent pool, was part of the defensive overhaul that helped the Bengals go from the bottom sack whole within the NFL in 2020 to 11th in 2021. After spending his first 4 seasons in Cleveland, the place he was predominately lined up within the A-gap over the middle, Ogunjobi moved to three-technique in Cincinnati’s protection final season after signing a one-year contract with the Bengals. It yielded a career-best season by which he totaled 7 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 40 pressures.

Apart from the foot damage that sidelined him for many of the Bengals’ Tremendous Bowl run within the postseason, the defensive deal with has performed most of his profession injury-free and has appeared in 76 of 81 video games over 5 seasons within the NFL.

ESPN’s Ben Child contributed to this report.