Chris Harris was released by the Chicago Bears on Thursday after the veteran safety asked for a trade earlier this month, ending his second run with the team.
Coach Lovie Smith said the move had been building over several weeks of subpar play.
Harris was beaten for a touchdown pass and dropped a potential interception Sunday against Tampa Bay. He had asked for a trade two weeks ago and was inactive against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 16, but then started Sunday in London against the Buccaneers.
Rookie Chris Conte started Sunday at free safety against Tampa Bay and made the first interception of his career. Second-year player Major Wright is the starter at strong safety. Harris has played both spots.
Harris was in his second stint with the Bears after being traded back from Carolina last year for linebacker Jamar Williams. After tying for the team lead in interceptions with five last year, he started the opener against Atlanta but sat out the next three games because of a pulled hamstring.
The Bears filled Harris' spot by signing former St. Louis Rams linebacker Jabara Williams off waivers.
Former teammates expressed surprise at Harris' departure. Defensive back D.J. Moore thought asking for a trade probably didn't help Harris' situation.
Lawmakers say they oppose use of public money for a new Vikings stadium
A cadre of Minnesota legislators opposed to putting public money into a deal for a new Vikings stadium said they'd let the team flee the state rather than let themselves be strong-armed into cutting a deal at any price.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, meanwhile, laid out two funding options and three possible sites in a bid to keep the team from bolting from the city to the suburbs — or beyond. His plan relies on new sales and lodging taxes or proceeds from a potential downtown casino.
All of it comes as Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton's self-imposed deadline for crafting a stadium plan approaches. He hopes to call lawmakers into special session before Thanksgiving to vote on hundreds of millions of dollars in public subsidies.
The Vikings have four games remaining on their Metrodome lease, and have made it clear that they won't re-up without assurances that a new stadium will be built. Team owner Zygi Wilf has stopped short of threatening to leave the state, but other cities craving an NFL franchise are paying attention.
"We don't want them to leave, but if they're going to leave I guess that is going to happen," said Sen. David Hann, a Republican who led a news conference by a bipartisan group of lawmakers fighting efforts to expand gambling to help pay for a new stadium. The lawmakers said their opposition extends to using all forms of taxpayer money.
NFL to scan incoming fans with metal detectors
Security personnel at NFL games will begin using hand-held metal detectors as part of the screening process before fans enter the stadiums. Beginning Nov. 20, the detectors will be used at stadium gates because "we are always striving for ways to improve our security procedures at all of our stadiums," an NFL spokesman said.
Fitzpatrick says contract extension may be in works
Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick confirmed that negotiations on a contract extension have become serious over the last two weeks and said he'd like to have a deal completed soon. "It would be something that I'd like to get done, and we'll see how it progresses here in the next few weeks," he said.
Fitzpatrick declined to provide details because he doesn't want talks to serve as a distraction to the 4-2 team.
In his seventh NFL season, the Harvard graduate is in the final year of a three-year contract. He has a 13-15 record over two-plus seasons with the Bills, and is credited with sparking an offense that ranks in the top 10 in numerous categories this season
