Bears to sign safety Tashaun Gipson

The Bears finally found their veteran safety.

After not drafting a strong safety last week, they agreed to sign Tashaun Gipson to a one-year deal. Gipson, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Texans just last year, was cut last week.

Pro Football Talk was the first to report the move Thursday.

Gipson, who will turn 30 in August, figures to slot into the starting strong safety position ahead of Deon Bush. The Texans cut Gipson on Monday and still owe him $3.25 million.

He’ll replace Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys in March after spending one season with the Bears.

A Wyoming alum, Gipson has 23 interceptions over an eight-year career that started as an undrafted free agent with the Browns. Two years after making his only Pro Bowl in 2014, Gipson signed a five-year, $35.5 million contract with the Jaguars, who released him last year.

He started 14 games and intercepted three passes last year. He missed two games with a broken wrist and was put on injured reserve before the playoffs because of a transverse process fracture in his back.

Gipson’s health has proved to be reliable — before the midseason wrist injury, he’d started 64 straight games. Take out his rookie season, and he has started 101 out of a possible 112 games over seven years.