Well, Chicago Bears fans, it seems like all that handwringing over wide receiver Alshon Jeffery's future with the franchise was all for nothing. On the first day of the NFL's rookie scouting combine in Indianapolis, word came in no uncertain terms that the Bears will be keeping their big pass-catcher, come hell or the franchise tag. First, ESPN's Adam Schefter cited sources indicating that the Bears are "expected" to keep Jeffery, either via a long-term deal or the franchise tag.
Then, the man actually tasked with making those decisions, Bears GM Ryan Pace, addressed the situation as well, telling Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune that the organization has been "aggressively" negotiating with Jeffery on a new deal, but that if it comes down to it they'll utilize the franchise tag to keep him from hitting the NFL's open market.
Really, the idea that the team would allow Jeffery to walk in free agency seemed incredibly unlikely and based mostly in the fact that he joined the franchise prior to Pace and head coach John Fox's arrival. But despite his unfamiliar origins, Jeffery is an elite player who, though he struggled through an injury-riddled 2015 campaign, can be a consistently explosive producer for the Chicago offense.
In fact, despite appearing in just 9 games last year, Jeffery collected 54 receptions for 807 yards and 4 touchdowns. That's right - he came two decent games shy of breaking the 1,000-yard mark, despite missing seven games. That's immense production for a guy who fell to the second round in 2012 because of speed concerns.
But with the Bears depth chart thin at wideout - Kevin White is talented, but a complete unknown, Eddie Royal is a mediocre No. 2 and the team can't wait on Marquess Wilson forever - keeping Jeffery should be, and seemingly is, the team's top priority.
