Bears sign wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to one-year deal

The Bears signed former Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to a one-year deal on Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Ginn, 35, will be entering his 14th season in the NFL. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft, Ginn has played with five teams in his career, spending the past three seasons in New Orleans. He played in all 16 games in 2019, putting together a down year by his standards with 30 receptions, 421 yards and two touchdowns. Still, he managed to be the second-most productive wide receiver on the Saints’ roster after Michael Thomas.

His 2018 campaign was shortened due to injury, but Ginn topped 700 receiving yards in the three years before that season, even catching 10 touchdowns for the Panthers during their Super Bowl run in 2015. He has also spent time with the Cardinals, 49ers and Dolphins.

The Bears needed speed at the wide receiver position heading into this offseason, and they have brought in three fast wideouts within the span of a week. Ginn joins the likes of fifth-round pick Darnell Mooney and recent free agent signing Trevor Davis as speedy receivers to recently be added to Chicago’s roster. While not the 4.28 40-yard dash speedster he was early in his career, Ginn is still an athletic weapon who should push for a roster spot, even in his old age.