LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Free-agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who agreed to a three-year deal earlier this week, will not be signing with the Chicago Bears after failing his physical, the team announced Friday.
Ogunjobi was Chicago’s biggest acquisition thus far in free agency, having agreed to a contract Monday worth $40.5 million with $26.35 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Bears announced the team had agreed to terms with Ogunjobi shortly after the new league year started Wednesday but had not officially announced his signing.
Ogunjobi was set to speak with local media members at Halas Hall on Friday morning as Chicago introduced its top three free agents, including center Lucas Patrick and linebacker Nicholas Morrow.
However, general manager Ryan Poles said the deal fell apart after Ogunjobi failed “a standard and thorough physical and medical review.”
“As I said before, Larry Ogunjobi embodies everything we are looking for in a Bear. He is a special person and player,” Poles said. “… Unfortunately, we are not signing him today. This is difficult and it is emotional for everyone involved, but ultimately is what is in the best interest of protecting the Chicago Bears.”
Though the Bears did not specify what led the defensive tackle’s failed physical, Ogunjobi underwent surgery to repair a right foot injury sustained in the third quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals‘ wild-card win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He tweeted Jan. 20 that his surgery was “a success.”
Losing out on Ogunjobi is a considerable blow to the Bears defense, which features Angelo Blackson and Mario Edwards Jr. at defensive end and Khyiris Tonga at defensive tackle. Shortly after the Bears announced Ogunjobi’s failed physical, they found a replacement at three-technique and are signing former Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Justin Jones to a two-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Jones, a three-year starter with the Chargers, had three sacks and 19 tackles in 11 games last season.
Ogunjobi, who returns to the free-agent pool, was a part of the defensive overhaul that helped the Bengals go from the lowest sack total in the NFL in 2020 to 11th in 2021. After spending his first four seasons in Cleveland, where he was predominately lined up in the A-gap over the center, Ogunjobi moved to three-technique in Cincinnati’s defense last season after signing a one-year contract with the Bengals. It yielded a career-best season in which he totaled 7 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 40 pressures.
Aside from the foot injury that sidelined him for most of the Bengals’ Super Bowl run in the postseason, the defensive tackle has played most of his career injury-free and has appeared in 76 of 81 games over five seasons in the NFL.
ESPN’s Ben Baby contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com