List of Bears 3 worst free-agency signings of 2017

Mike Glennon didn’t last long as the Bears starting quarterback. | Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Bears had some of the worst free-agency signings of 2017.

The free-agency market can be a tricky route to navigate. There’s a pool of talent that’s filled with the unknown. Sometimes what appears to be a solid signing turns out to be the exact opposite once the season starts especially when players get injured or don’t live up to expectations.

With the Bears coaching staff search settling down, it’s time to look back at some of the team’s flops from last year’s free-agency signings.

Mike Glennon, QB

Everyone knew this was a bad idea from the start.

The Bears signed Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million deal before they realized they would fall in love with rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky and draft him second overall.

Despite the excitement of the Bears potentially new franchise quarterback, Pace and former Bears coach John Fox continuously called Mike Glennon “our quarterback” and planned to start him every week while Trubisky rode the bench and developed in practice.

Fast forward to Week 5 and tell me how did that work out for them?

Glennon turned out to a total flop, only getting credit for one of the team’s five wins this season.

During his time as the starting quarterback, Glennon threw for 833 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had three fumbles in four games.

Glennon is guaranteed $18.5 million, but it’s safe to say his 2017 performance was worth a fraction of that.

Markus Wheaton, WR

Markus Wheaton was cursed the moment he signed his two-year, $11 million contract with the Bears in March.

Toward the beginning of Bears training camp, Wheaton underwent appendix surgery in Bourbonnais. Less than three weeks later, he had an operation on his left broken pinkie. Then in October, Wheaton was sidelined again — that time with a tear in his groin.

The Bears set the bar high for Wheaton, who was signed with the intention of adding depth to the Bears’ receiving corps.

But his “big plays” were far and few between after his season was plagued with one injury after another. Wheaton finished the season with only three catches for 51 yards and no touchdowns in 11 games with the Bears.

Marcus Cooper, CB

Marcus Cooper was coming off of his best season in the NFL when the Bears signed him last March to a three-year, $16 million deal with $8 million guaranteed.

During his 2016 season with the Cardinals, Cooper had 69 total tackles and four interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown.

But Cooper didn’t have the same success with the Bears in 2017.

Cooper’s season was defined by what could be one of the most boneheaded plays in recent Bears’ history.

Cooper had the perfect opportunity to return a blocked Steelers’ field goal in for a touchdown. But instead, he got cocky and slowed his sprint to a jog near the end zone. The Steelers forced a fumble at the one-yard line. And after three failed attempts to score, the Bears had to settle for a short-distance field goal.