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Former Seahawks Starter Germain Ifedi Lands with Bears, Signs One-Year Deal

With the market not shaking out for Ifedi's services as expected, the former first-round pick will continue his career in Chicago and potentially change positions for his new team.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks biggest free agent domino along the offensive line has finally fallen in free agency, albeit on a shorter deal than projected.

As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, veteran tackle Germain Ifedi has agreed to terms with the Bears on a one-year contract. Financial terms have yet to be disclosed.

Originally drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Seattle, Ifedi became an immediate starter at right guard as a rookie. Before his sophomore season, then-line coach Tom Cable slid him outside to right tackle, where he started all but one of the team's 48 regular season games over the past three seasons.

After struggling mightily and drawing the ire of fans in his first two seasons in the league, Ifedi took well to the coaching of Mike Solari, making steady progress in pass protection the past two seasons. Still, he battled lingering penalty issues with 52 of them in 60 starts and the Seahawks opted to decline his fifth-year option last May, setting him up to hit free agency.

Set to turn 26 years old in June, many analysts expected Ifedi to be one of the most sought after tackles on the free agent market given his youth, durability, and first-round pedigree. However, he remained unsigned after the first week, signaling actual interest from teams didn't match initial expectations and didn't receive the money he wanted.

Now joining the Bears, Ifedi not only had to settle for a one-year deal, but he may also have to change positions and compete for a starting role. According to Rapoport, the Bears may plan to move him to right guard alongside tackle Bobbie Massie.

Last week, the Seahawks began executing plans for life without Ifedi, signing former Jets starter Brandon Shell to a two-year contract worth $11 million as a possible replacement. The team also signed former Bengals first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi to a one-year contract as a swing tackle candidate, who is expected to fill the void left behind by the departure of George Fant.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.