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Sullivan Signs Restricted Free Agent Tender

The move ensures slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan will compete for a starting job with the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
Bill Huber|
Sullivan Signs Restricted Free Agent Tender
Sullivan Signs Restricted Free Agent Tender

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Defensive back Chandon Sullivan has signed his restricted free-agent tender, his agency annou meaning he’s locked into the Green Bay Packers’ secondary for the 2021 season.

Sullivan was given the right-of-first-refusal tender that’s worth $2.133 million. That tender allowed the Packers to match any offer given to the team’s understatedly solid slot defender but they would not receive any compensation should he sign elsewhere.

Sullivan replaced veteran Tramon Williams in the lineup in 2020 and had a quality season. Manning the slot for all 16 games, he recorded 40 tackles, one interception and finished fourth on the team with six passes defensed. According to Pro Football Focus and its best estimation of coverage responsibilities, of the 32 corners who played at least 160 coverage snaps from the slot, Sullivan ranked 10th in passer rating (89.6), 12th with 1.13 yards per coverage snap and second with 10.8 snaps per reception allowed.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Sullivan gave up a 58.3 percent completion rate compared to 28.6 percent in 2019, when he was mostly a sixth defensive back. Jared Goff and Tom Brady went after him in the playoffs, though Sullivan recovered after a rough start in the championship game. According to PFF, he allowed three completions in seven targets in that game. The 57 yards allowed marked only the second time in 18 games that he allowed 50-plus yards.

With the re-signing of Kevin King, Green Bay’s five-man starting secondary will be back for 2021. That doesn’t mean the Packers won’t be looking to upgrade at either spot, though.

Sullivan played 71 percent of the defensive snaps in 2020. That position is a big one for new defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

“I know from a defensive standpoint, you better have pass rushers and you better have really good DBs,” Barry said. “Specifically that nickel position, that star position, I think it’s vital. I’m from the school that I think you can’t have enough guys that are potential nickels.”

Stories, Stats and Scouting on Top Corners

CB1: Alabama's Patrick Surtain II

CB2: South Carolina's Jaycee Horn

CB3: Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley

CB4: Northwestern's Greg Newsome II

CB5: Florida State's Asante Samuel Jr.

CB6: Georgia's Eric Stokes

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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