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When defensive back Sherrick McManis was traded to the Chicago Bears, LeBron James had just won his first NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. Facebook had recently acquired a small social media platform called Instagram. Justin Bieber was singing about what he would do if he was your boyfriend.
It was August 2012, and the Houston Texans had seen enough in 2 years after drafting him in the 5th round to send him packing in exchange for fullback Tyler Clutts.
McManis is from Peoria, IL and attended Northwestern University in Evanston, so he knew the area well.
Primarily a special teams player, McManis has been with the Bears through all the trials and tribulations of the past decade. He’s played for 4 different head coaches, 4 different special teams coordinators/coaches, and 4 different defensive coordinators in his time with the Bears. Though he wasn’t the guy you saw all over the stat sheet, he was dependable and stuck with this team for a long time.
McManis took to Twitter to pass along some appreciation for Kyle Long, who recently came out of retirement and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. In the post, McManis spoke with past-tense about his time in Chicago, confirming that it has come to an end.
@Ky1eLong Since day1u always appreciate what I brought2the Team. I was like a Utility Belt in Chicago known by few but Took Pride in My Craft I’ll miss my Teammates,Fans, Staff&most coaches.The 1’s who Valued what I brought to https://t.co/BRLDqpv8Uk’s been Real Chicago✌ Love
— Sherrick (@SherrickM) May 14, 2021
The writing was on the wall when the Bears didn’t re-sign McManis, and Thomas Graham Jr. was issued his old #27 for the Bears this year, but it’s real when he takes to social media to say goodbye.
The 33-year old McManis would enter his 12th season in the NFL should he wish to sign with a team. When he does retire, this offseason or another, one should hope the Bears sign him to a one-day contract so he can retire a Bear.