NFL rumors: Travis Homer, Bears agree on contract; Chicago special teams boosted
The Bears are retaining another core special teams player in running back Travis Homer.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing a league source, reported the news on Monday evening.
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Homer is expected to re-sign on a one-year, $2 million deal.
Homer has been with Chicago since 2023, after spending four seasons in Seattle. The Bears haven’t used him much as a runner, with just six carries for 23 yards in two seasons, but was considered a core special teams player involved most aspects of the kicking game.
He played 66 percent of all special teams snaps last season. He missed six games in total while dealing with a broken finger that required surgery early in the season and a hamstring issue at the end of it.
The Bears retained special teams coordinator Richard Hightower from the Matt Eberflus regime, and the veteran coach clearly has some clout keeping his core guys.
Return man and kick coverage player Josh Blackwell – he’s also a quality reserve slot cornerback – stayed put on a two-year deal. They also kept linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga around to help in the kicking game.
Homer was a more active offensive player with the Seahawks and had a solid success rate on the runs he received. He had 43 carries for 476 yards over four seasons with the Seahawks before changing NFL squads. That team made him a sixth-round NFL draft pick back in 2021.
The Bears don’t have tons of salary cap space left, but they can make moves like this to flesh out their depth chart and add a veteran presence to the special teams units. That’s important for Hightower, who typically has to re-stock core guys with recently drafted individuals in his kicking teams.