It’s not going to be long for Josh Sitton before he signs with another team. The Green Bay Packers released him, and he might end up on their biggest rivals, the Chicago Bears, although the New Orleans Saints are hoping to get a shot at him.
Everyone seems to be quite stunned by Sitton being released. He was a pro bowler last season, and in 3 of the last 4 years. Since 2009, he has missed only two games, starting for the Packers in each one. Many regarded him as the best guard in the NFL until not too long ago, and last year Pro Football Focus rated him as the best sixth guard in the league. Was the money he was about to make that much of a bane on the salary cap?
Maybe the Packers know something everyone doesn’t (and that would show up in a physical?), but in any case, Sitton isn’t going to be sitting out for a long time. The Bears know him very well, and are the first team Sitton is going to visit. It’s not going to be a surprise if he doesn’t visit anymore teams after that. The Bears have $22 million in cap space, so it should be no problem adding a piece that could offer Jay Cutler solid protection, something the Bears have rarely been able to do in recent years.
The protection around Drew Brees has been in decline for a number of years as well, so the Saints could be in the picture. However, Sitton isn’t going to make minimum bucks, and the Saints can offer only $1.4 million unless their cuts open up some salary space, so even if the Bears don’t sign Sitton, it seems unlikely New Orleans is his next destination in terms of staying there for good.