INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts' most productive unrestricted free agent will be on an opposite sideline in 2016.
On Saturday afternoon, four-year starting linebacker Jerrell Freeman signed a three-year deal with the Chicago Bears.
Freeman, who has started for the Colts since joining the team in 2012, was thought to garner a pretty demanding market as he entered his first real free agency.
After days of rumored spots throughout the NFL, Freeman made it official with a team the Colts will play at Lucas Oil Stadium next season.
The story of Freeman having such a chance is quite remarkable.
After years of excelling in the Canadian Football League, Freeman got a second opportunity at life in the NFL.
He didn't relinquish such an opening.
When Pat Angerer went down in the 2012 preseason, Freeman pounced.
Freeman led the Colts in tackles his first two seasons.
For the last two years, the Colts have had a duo of Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson at inside linebacker.
That will now change in 2016.
With Jackson turning 33 years old this season and the real possibility of Freeman testing the free agency waters, inside linebacker was thought to be a need for the Colts.
It certainly is now.
The Colts do have two starting options to turn to currently on their roster.
Sio Moore (22 career starts) and Nate Irving (14 career starts), both acquired by the team in 2015, could see their roles expand a lot this season.
Freeman is the third (of 12) Colts' unrestricted free agent to join another team in the past few days (Dwight Lowery-Chargers and Coby Fleener-Saints).
