Last month, Bears wide receiver Eric Weems declined the Bears’ request to take a pay cut and was expected to be released soon after. A few weeks later, it seems as though Weems has had a change of heart. The 28-year-old has agreed to restructure his deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago’s WSCR-670 AM first reported the pay cut.
According to NFLPA records, the special teamer agreed to reduce his base salary from $1MM to the minimum for a veteran with six years of experience – $730K. Meanwhile, Weems will keep his $100K workout bonus in the contract, so he can earn up to $830K this season and will have a cap number of $1.33MM, down from the $1.6MM he was originally scheduled to count against the cap.
Weems was on the field for only 24 offensive snaps in 2013 and but was third on the roster with 309 snaps on special teams. However, with Devin Hester out of the picture, it is possible he could be considered as a potential kickoff returner.