The Chicago Bears made an unexpected move Thursday, terminating the contract of defensive linemen Jeremiah Ratliff and signing free agent Ziggy Hood. Ratliff is a 34-year-old four-time Pro Bowler who was playing the final season of a two-year deal with the Bears. Hood had a quiet season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014.
Ratliff's release wasn't amicable, according to reports. ESPN's Jeff Dickerson said that Ratliff and general manager Ryan Pace had a heated exchange in front of Halas Hall during practice Wednesday. Police escorted Ratliff off the premises, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, and stationed themselves at the building.
Ratliff has appeared in just two games this season with limited impact -- just six tackles. He was suspended for the first three games of the season for violating the NFL's policy and program for substances of abuse.
Pace gave a brief statement on Ratliff's release, but did not mention an incident.
"We felt moving forward without Jeremiah was in the best interest of our team," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said in a statement. "We appreciate his contributions and wish him well. We are also excited to be able to add Ziggy Hood to our roster."
Ratliff is coming off one his best seasons as a pro. He joined the Bears in 2013 after being released mid-season by the Dallas Cowboys, for whom he had played nine seasons. His first year with the Bears was arguably one of the best of his career. In just 11 games (he missed five due to injury) he had 6.5 sacks among 21 tackles, include 3.5-sack game in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins.
Ratliff's release from the Cowboys was due, in large part, to friction between him and the front office. He and Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones reportedly had a major locker room argument in December 2012. Ratliff didn't appear in any games for the Cowboys in 2013 because of a purported hamstring injury that the team may not have been entirely convinced was legitimate by the time October rolled around. Ratliff was cleared to play shortly after he signed with Bears.
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