Cedric Benson, selected fourth overall by the Bears in 2005, held out for 36 days before finally signing his rookie contract.
AP
There was little panic as Bears first-round draft picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze remained unsigned for months, probably because of the slotted salaries for rookies entering the NFL.
Knowing the team’s history with holdouts, though, I admit to being a bit concerned. And I admit to being a bit relieved last week when both signed their contracts.
But back to that history. This week’s High Five looks at some of the Bears’ more recent holdouts.
And by “recent” we mean Jay Berwanger — the first player selected in the NFL’s inaugural 1936 draft — won’t be on this list.
5. Cade McNown, QB, 1999
Selected 12th overall by the Bears, the relationship was doomed from the start.
McNown participated in pre-season activities, and the Bears were so confident in his ability to step in as a rookie that they cut Erik Kramer after insisting for months he’d be the starting quarterback.
McNown held out most of training camp, pretty much sealing Shane Matthews as the starter heading into the regular season. McNown’s holdout may not be the main reason he was rumored to be disliked by some teammates, but it likely didn’t help.
4. Trace Armstrong, DE, 1989
Armstrong was taken 12th overall just after the Bears picked Donnell Woolford 11th. Both wound up holding out during training camp.
The pressure was on Armstrong, who was pegged to replace Al Harris and play alongside Steve McMichael, Richard Dent, William Perry and Dan Hampton.
The holdout may have had an early impact, but Armstrong recovered to notch five sacks. He made the all-rookie team and was awarded the team’s Brian Piccolo Award.
3. Curtis Enis, RB, 1998
It’s hard to imagine an NFL career starting worse than it did for Enis, the Bears’ selection with the fifth overall pick.
Enis held out for 25 days and missed two preseason games, putting him way behind the curve in trying to make the impact the Bears expected from him.
The holdout was so contentious, Enis reportedly hung up on Ted Phillips, the team’s president at the time, and also switched agents. And the rookie contract he signed wound up being for less guaranteed money than the Bears previously offered.
Enis started just one game before his rookie season ended due to a torn knee ligament.
2. Roquan Smith, LB, 2018
Seems like the Bears always had contract issues with Smith, who was traded to Baltimore in 2022 after the two sides were unable to come to terms on an extension.
The last first-round pick to sign with their team, Smith, drafted eighth overall, held out for nearly a full month and missed two preseason games. The dispute centered on contract language where the Bears would withhold money if Smith were suspended for an illegal hit with his helmet.
The holdout had little effect on Smith, who started 14 games, notched 121 tackles and was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate.
1. Cedric Benson, RB, 2005
Learning nothing from holdouts by previous Bears rookie running backs Rashaan Salaam and Enis, Benson held out for 36 days after being drafted fourth overall.
Benson missed all of training camp and, like Smith, was the last first-round pick to sign that year. Benson reportedly received a chilly reception from teammates, who never seemed to mesh with him.
The holdout greatly stunted Benson’s development. Thomas Jones was named the starting running back and rushed for more than 1,300 yards in 2005.
Benson, meanwhile, injured his knee and managed just 272 yards on 67 carries. In three seasons with the Bears, he never rushed for more than 700 yards.
