Jeremiah Ratliff Cut by Bears, Ziggy Hood Signed: Latest Comments and Reaction
Published by Joe Pantorno on October 22, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears needed a change on their defensive line, as they’ve allowed over 124 rushing yards per game this season. They did just that, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that the team cut former Pro Bowler Jeremiah Ratliff and signed defensive tackle Ziggy Hood.
Ratliff, an 11-year veteran, was in his second full season with the Bears after coming over from the Dallas Cowboys, where he made four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2008-2011. He recorded 6.5 sacks in his first full season with Chicago last year.
Apparently, his release did not go over well, according to the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Adam Jahns:
Pace released a statement, as reported by Bleacher Report’s Matt Eurich:
Ratliff has been a problem off of the field more than once this season. According to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com, the league suspended Ratliff for the first three games of the season for violating its Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
Mayer explained: “The suspension stemmed from an incident that occurred on Jan. 22, 2013 when Ratliff—who played for the Cowboys at the time—was arrested just outside Dallas on suspicion of drunk driving. He pled guilty to the DWI charge in May and was given one year of probation and fined.”
The man to take his place, Ziggy Hood, was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after being activated from injured reserve on Tuesday. The former Steelers first-round pick spent his first five years with Pittsburgh before signing a four-year, $16 million deal with Jacksonville, per Spotrac.com.
Hood has recorded 12.5 sacks over the first six years of his career, with at least one in every season. Chicago will look to him to help clog up the trenches along the defensive line and slow down the opposition’s running game.
Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
