Chicago Bears
Julius Peppers - #90 - DE
| Status | Active |
| Height/Weight | 6' 7"/ 287 lbs. |
| Birthday | 01/18/1980 |
| Birthplace | Wilson, NC |
| College | North Carolina |
| Years played | 12 |
| Drafted | 2002, 1st round, 2nd pick by Panthers |
Three-and-out with Bears S Major Wright
Injuries have kept Bears rookie FS Major Wright from making the kind of progression some expected of him in 2010, but the third-round pick told PFW that he feels like he's getting better each week.
Patriots-Bears matchup of the day: Thursday
Bears CB D.J. Moore has shown a knack for making big plays, but he still has only 15 games under his belt, and the Patriots could be tempted to test him on Sunday.
Five questions with PFW publisher Hub Arkush
This week, Hub Arkush says he trusts Jay Cutler's decision making more than he did when the season started, but points out that Bill Belichick's defensive game plan could be one of the tougher challenges Cutler has faced ...
They said it: Patriots Wednesday edition
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady spoke to the media on Wednesday to discuss Sunday's matchup against the Bears.
Bears will give Belichick another test
Each Wednesday we'll identify one player, coach or area of the team that is most under the microscope. This week, head coach Bill Belichick is our choice.
Bears have to hope Taylor saves his best for last
Chicago's offense could use more of a boost from Chester Taylor in the final quarter of the season, especially with the weather becoming more of a factor in games.
Suh fine shows NFL only protecting itself
The NFL is out of control, taking the idea of fining players for clean hits way too far, writes PFW senior editor Eric Edholm.
Cutler: Soldier Field turf is one of league’s worst
Bears QB Jay Cutler tore up the Soldier Field turf at his press conference at Halas Hall Wednesday.
Bears LBs Tinoisamoa, Roach sidelined
The Bears' top two strong-side linebackers, Pisa Tinoisamoa and Nick Roach, did not practice Wednesday.
Patriots-Bears matchup of the day: Wednesday
Here's a matchup to watch in the Week 14 game between the Patriots and Bears: Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz vs. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Former Bears coach Wannstedt steps down at Pitt
Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt resigned as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh after a disappointing 7-5 season.
60-second rant: Belichick could expose Bears’ greatest flaw
The Bears are only a game back in the race to secure home-field advantage in the NFC, but they still have an obvious weakness, and something tells me Bill Belichick is going to have a good plan for exploiting it ...
Patriots-Bears matchup of the day: Tuesday
For the Bears' cover-2 defense to be effective against the Patriots, Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije need to get into the backfield and disrupt QB Tom Brady's rhythm.
Bears sign OG Johnson
The Bears tinkered with their roster Tuesday, signing OG Herman Johnson to the 53-man roster.
Cutler becoming manager Bears can trust
The entire Bears' offense has matured since a Week Eight bye, and Jay Cutler's development within offensive coordinator Mike Martz's system has been easy to notice.
PLAYER NEWS
Peppers is going to the Pro Bowl. The Bears said Monday that Peppers had been added to the roster for Sunday's game in Hawaii, replacing Jason Pierre-Paul of the Super Bowl-bound New York Giants. It will be Peppers' seventh appearance in the all-star game.|||||||
Peppers had 27 tackles, 11 sacks, five tackles for losses, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries this season. The 10-year NFL veteran has reached double-digit sacks in seven seasons. Five other Bears were named to the Pro Bowl: linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, running back Matt Forte and defensive backs Corey Graham and Charles Tillman.
Peppers is starting for the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings after being listed as doubtful because of a sprained left knee.|||||||
Peppers was injured in Monday's loss at Detroit and did not practice all week.
The Chicago Bears hope to have Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers available this week against Minnesota after he mildly sprained his left knee. Peppers was injured in the first half of Monday's loss at Detroit and briefly left the game.|||||||
Coach Lovie Smith says the knee was "still sore" Wednesday, but he will "hopefully" be able to practice Friday and play this week.
The Chicago Bears have restructured Peppers' contract to create more salary-cap room for next season.|||||||
Peppers signed a six-year deal worth potentially $91.5 million a year ago, was due a $10.5 million roster bonus for next season. Instead, the team exercised its right to convert that money into a signing bonus and prorate it over the remaining years of his contract, which runs through the 2015 season. That saves roughly $8 million in cap space for next season, giving the Bears more room to bring in free agents and retain their own.
Peppers has some steep competition Sunday in his return to Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Jordan Gross is a 2008 Pro Bowl pick, anchoring an offensive line that last season allowed DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to become the first teammates to each rush for over 1,100 yards.|||||||
There will be few surprises when they meet on Sunday. Gross has seen all of Peppers' moves and Peppers knows Gross' strengths and weaknesses. "Me and Jordan, we helped each other grow as players a lot," Peppers said, "practicing against each other and having those training camp battles."