Former Atlanta Falcons WR Tajae Sharpe signs with Bears

On Wednesday evening, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, Tajae Sharpe, signed a one-year deal with the Bears.

Sharpe’s salary on his new contract with the Bears has yet to be announced.

As Rapoport mentioned, the addition of Sharpe will bolster the Bears’ wide receiver room, with star receiver Allen Robinson signing with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency.

The Bears also lost receivers Equanimeous St. Brown to the Green Bay Packers and Damiere Byrd to the Atlanta Falcons, who will look to help boost a depleted wide receiver room.

In 2021 with the Atlanta Falcons, Sharpe appeared in 15 games, starting in seven. Sharpe hauled in 25 receptions for 230 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per reception. Sharpe recorded no touchdowns with the Falcons in 2021, with his last NFL touchdown recorded in 2019, his final year with the Tennessee Titans.

After spending half a year on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad, Sharpe was waived by the team on May 17th, 2021. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year, $990,000 contract exactly one week after his release.

The Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears have now signed at least one free agent that were a part of each others’ squads since Ryan Pace joined the Falcons as a senior personnel executive this offseason. Pace served as the Chicago Bears general manager from 2015 to 2021.

Here’s a list of the former Chicago Bears the Atlanta Falcons have signed this offseason since Ryan Pace joined Atlanta’s staff:

• Damiere Byrd, wide receiver
• Damien Williams, running back
• Germain Ifedi, offensive tackle
• Elijah Wilkinson, offensive tackle
• Teez Tabor, safety
• Beau Brinkley, long snapper

The Atlanta Falcons also signed away key offensive piece Cordarrelle Patterson from the Chicago Bears in the 2021 offseason.

Sharpe was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 draft by the Tennessee Titans, who selected him with the 140th overall pick. Sharpe played college football at the University of Massachusetts, where he broke the record for most career receptions and receiving yards.