There’s a good chance Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller won’t play in the NFL again after he suffered a serious knee injury last season. That’s a tough blow for the 33-year-old, who is a free agent after his two-year contract in Chicago ran out.
However, the Bears have decided to give Miller what could be his last ever payday by signing him to a one-year deal for this season, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Under the teams of that one-year contract, Miller will earn $458,000 this year guaranteed. And if he were to make a miraculous recovery and play this season, he would make an additional $332,000 for a total of $790,000 in earnings.
Article Continues BelowMiller is still hoping to resume his career, but it seems unlikely after the severity of his injury. He very nearly could have lost his leg after he dislocated his knee and tore a major artery. Even if he doesn’t play again, though, Miller will at least have close to half a million dollars more in the bank, which is better than nothing.
It’s a very generous move by the Bears, who were under no obligation to do anything of the sort under the CBA. But they felt that it was the proper thing to do after one of their players nearly lost a limb while wearing their uniform.
That move should send an encouraging message to the rest of the league that the Bears are an organization that will go above and beyond to take care of their players.