The Chicago Bears terminated the contract of veteran cornerback Tim Jennings Sunday night, making the two-time Pro-Bowler a free agent.
Jennings spent five seasons with the Bears since joining the organization in 2010, and he led the league with nine interceptions in 2012, making the Pro Bowl that season and the one following.
He started 74 of the 78 games in which he appeared for Chicago, recording 353 tackles, 16 interceptions, 53 pass breakups, six forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.
When Jennings hit his prime in 2012 and 2013, he and Charles Tillman comprised what was regarded as a lethal Bears secondary. The 5'8" 31 year-old corner started his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts, with whom he spent four seasons and won a Super Bowl ring after being selected 62nd overall in the 2006 NFL Draft.
The Bears had inked Jennings previously to a four-year deal that was set to expire in 2017. This was after his 2013 contract year in which he recorded two pick-sixes to raise his career total to three.
Without Jennings, Chicago will most likely start Alan Ball and Tracy Porter in their secondary as the first-string cornerbacks. Antrel Rolle and Ryan Mundy are at the top of the depth chart at the safety position, however Mundy was placed on injured reserve Monday with a hip injury that will sideline him for the entirety of the 2015 NFL season. Sherrod Martin is likely to start in Mundy's place.
Chicago being thin at the back lines of their defense, dropping Jennings may have improved the salary cap situation, however it will hurt the depth and quality of the secondary for at least 2015.
One possible contributor to this decision by GM Ryan Pace could have been the DUI arrest Jennings allocated back in January. Whatever the case, Jennings is unlikely to be a man without a team come opening week in the NFL.