Second Chance for Former Steelers Cornerback
Artie Burns gets the chance to make two comebacks in one.
The Bears signed the former Steelers cornerback to a one-year deal a year after an attempt to resurrect his career met with disaster.
Burns suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Aug. 18, the second day of actual full-squad training camp.
Now he'll come back to a drastically different scene in the secondary with veterans Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine gone.
Burns started his career as the 25th pick overall in the 2016 draft with Pittsburgh, started to struggle in Year 2. His mother had died and he was left to look after his two brothers, and their father was in prison on a drug-related charge.
Burns' play suffered and the Steelers benched him in 2019 before deciding not to bring him back after the 2020 season when his contract expired.
A college teammate at Miami and friend of Bears safety Deon Bush, Burns had four interceptions in his first two seasons to go with 26 pass defenses before his play began to deteriorate.
After the injury, Burns spent the 2021 season on injured reserve.
With Fuller gone, Desmond Trufant joining the team at safety, and younger players like Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley figuring into the mix now, the Bears in the secondary could be a volatile mix this season.
The Bears also have cornerbacks Tre Roberson, Teez Tabor and Xavier Crawford on the roster for the coming season. Roberson is a former CFL cornerback who missed all last season after an injury.
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