Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Bears Sign Kicker Redford Jones After Cody Parkey's Missed Field Goal vs. Eagles

Kyle Newport

The Chicago Bears have signed kicker Redford Jones less than three weeks after Cody Parkey missed a potential game-winning field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL playoffs wild-card round earlier this month. 

EnterSports Management announced the move on Friday.

Jones made 74.6 percent of his field-goal attempts at Tulsa (2015-17), going 50 of 67 for his career. He established a career-long of 51 yards against SMU in October 2017. 

He was not part of an NFL roster in 2018.

Parkey endured the roughest performance of his career in 2018, as he converted just 76.7 percent (23 of 30) of his field-goal attempts and 93 percent (42 of 45) of his extra-point attempts during the regular season. 

He accounted for nine of his team's 15 points in a 16-15 loss to the Eagles, but it was his miss from 43 yards in the final seconds that ended the Bears' season:

The double-doink was officially ruled a block one day later after the NFL determined Philadelphia defensive tackle Treyvon Hester got a hand on the ball. The ruling didn't change the fact that Chicago's season was over.

Less than a week after the heartbreaking loss, Parkey went on The Today Show to discuss his missed kick:

That interview didn't sit well with Chicago coach Matt Nagy, who responded with critical comments of the kicker's television appearance, per ESPN's Jeff Dickerson:

"For me, you understand that we always talk about a 'we' and not a 'me' thing. We always talk as a team, we win as a team, we lose as a team. You know, I just, I didn't necessarily think that that was too much of a 'we' thing.

"Again, I didn't think it was a 'we' thing."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Friday that the Bears were expected to work out "six to seven kickers." Ultimately, the team settled on Jones.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted that Parkey's $3.5 million salary for 2019 is fully guaranteed.

   

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