Bears Acquire Orland Park Native Dan Feeney In Trade

ORLAND PARK, IL — For the second straight year, the Chicago Bears offensive line will have a touch of Orland Park peppered into it.

The Bears acquired Orland Park and former Carl Sandburg High School standout Dan Feeney to bolster the depth of their offensive line in a trade on Monday, according to multiple reports. Feeney, who was a first-team All-American at Indiana, comes to the Bears from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick, according to media reports.

The team made the trade official Tuesday evening, but Bears coach Matt Eberflus said in his news conference earlier Tuesday that Feeney was joining the team. The Bears finalized their 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon. Eberflus said that Feeney would be undergoing a physical on Tuesday and said he would hold off commenting too much on the addition of the veteran lineup until everything was official.

However, he said he does like Feeney's versatility.

"You've got an inside guy that you can feel can play all three spots and back up and be a good starter there," Eberflus said on Tuesday. "It's like having a good swing tackle."

Feeney was a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 and has spent the past six years in the NFL. He appeared in all 17 games last year with the New York Jets and made two starts. He has played in 96 games (64 starts) in six seasons and has spent the majority of his time at offensive guard and center.

He gained experience on both sides of the line, playing both guard positions in addition to center.

The Dolphins signed Feeney to a one-year, $3.25 million contract after last season, all but $100,000 was guaranteed. The Bears will now inherit that contract as they seek to add some depth to an offensive line that was a weak spot last year in protecting quarterback Justin Fields.

Feeney, at 29, becomes the most experienced player on the offensive line and could have an immediate impact. Left guard Tevin Jenkins is questionable for the Bears’ Sept. 10 season opener at Soldier Field against the Packers. Cody Whitehair, who was expected to move to center, is dealing with a hand injury that will keep him at guard while offensive linemen Nate Davis and Lucas Patrick have also been dealing with injuries during the preseason and training camp.

The addition of Feeney comes a year after the Bears signed Orland Park native Michael Schofield to a one-year deal to add veteran leadership to the offensive line. Schofield was cut at the end of training camp but was then re-signed when injuries became an issue on the line.

Schofield played in 11 games last year and made five starts.