MONDAY, 9:15am: Barth’s deal with the Bears is for one year, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.
SUNDAY, 9:51pm: The Bears are having a busy night, as after agreeing to a three-year contract with guard Josh Sitton, the club is planning to sign kicker Connor Barth, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Barth is the replacement for longtime Bears kicker Robbie Gould, who was released earlier today.
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Barth, 30, has been in the NFL since 2008, and has spent time with the Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Broncos during his seven-year stint. He had signed with the Saints earlier this summer, but was released yesterday as part of final cuts. Last year, Barth was in his second go-round with Tampa, and he nailed 23-of-28 field goal attempts. From 50+ yards, Barth was three-for-five, and he only missed one extra point.
Given that the Bears were presumably looking to save money by releasing Gould, it’s likely that Barth signed for something close to the minimum.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.