Bears sign Colts EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad to two-year, $10 million deal

The Bears have signed former Colts edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad to a two-year, $10 million deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday.

Muhammad, 26, spent the last four seasons with the Colts, where he served as a starter for all 17 games as a defensive end. He put together the best season of his career, tallying 6 sacks, 48 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 13 quarterback hits. He had served previously as a rotational edge rusher for the team in previous year.

It was to be expected that the Bears would add some defensive pieces from the Colts at some point, seeing as though new Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis. As the team transitions to a 4-3 base defense, adding another edge rusher with experience in Eberflus’ system is a solid way to aid the transition in defensive philosophy.

The Bears project to head into the 2021 season with Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson rushing off the edge in the starting lineup, but Muhammad figures to play a solid role on the defense going forward. He will be one of the edge rushers responsible for filling the production of Khalil Mack, whom Chicago traded to the Chargers near the start of free agency.