Sports | June 4, 2018 9:44 am

Bears Make Classy Move by Giving Zach Miller 2018 Contract

Though a devastating knee injury likely ended Miller's career, Chicago signed TE to one-year deal.

Zach Miller #86 of the Chicago Bears is carted off the field after sustaining an injury during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Getty Images

By Evan Bleier @itishowitis

Even though he probably won’t ever return to an NFL field, Zach Miller will be back with the Bears in 2018.

After suffering a devastating knee injury last year while making a catch—and nearly losing his leg—Miller became a free agent after his contract with Chicago expired.

#Bears signed TE Zach Miller to a 1-year deal, per @ProFootballTalk

Miller suffered a very serious leg injury against the #Saints last season on a play that should’ve been called a touchdown. He’s trying to make a comeback.pic.twitter.com/1g9yqe7E5q

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 4, 2018

Oh the Zay Jones injury looks bad?

Zach Miller be like…#TNF pic.twitter.com/SKNjZNfyaJ

— Adam Patrick (@Str8_Cash_Homey) November 3, 2017

He’s trying to make a comeback, but odds are the knee dislocation—which led to a torn artery that could have ended in an amputation—that Miller suffered will keep him on the sidelines forever.

In spite of that, the Bears signed Miller to a “split” contract that will pay him $458,000 for 2018 whether he plays or not and $790,000 if the 33-year-old can somehow return this year.

The move likely won’t help Chicago on the football field, but it may aid the Bears off of it.

“It sends a message to the locker room that the Bears don’t automatically regard players as nameless, faceless, fungible commodities who come and go on a constant basis, and who get nothing more than what the CBA entitles them to,” according to ProFootballTalk.