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 |
2012 STATS
| Tack | FF | Int |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | 1 | 0 |
Bears-Lions matchup of the day: Thursday
With Matthew Stafford (shoulder) and Shaun Hill (finger) out nursing injuries, the Lions will be starting third-stringer Drew Stanton against the Bears' opportunistic defense.
Bears LB Roach doesn’t want to ‘get uprooted’
PFW recently asked Bears LB Nick Roach, who will be a free agent after the season, if he wants to stay in Chicago beyond 2010.
Bears’ pass protection still has much room to improve
The Bears' offense has benefited from starting the same offensive linemen in the same five positions in each of the past four games, but Jay Cutler still has faced a fair share of heat recently.
Urlacher rips NFL’s policy on hits
Bears MLB Brian Urlacher didn't hold back when he was asked about the NFL's disciplinary system for dangerous hits on Wednesday.
They said it: Bears edition
Here is a sampling of what Bears players are saying in advance of their Week 13 battle against the Lions.
Bears-Lions matchup of the day: Wednesday
Aside from the play where Julius Peppers beat Jeff Backus and sacked QB Matthew Stafford, separating his right shoulder, Backus did a pretty good job in pass protection against Peppers in Week One.
Bears DE Peppers named NFC Defensive Player of the Month
Bears DE Julius Peppers had been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month.
Bears QB Cutler named NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Bears QB Jay Cutler was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Bears to a 31-26 win over the Eagles.
Report: Soldier Field resodded
The Chicago Park District began resodding the playing surface at Soldier Field on Tuesday.
60-second rant: Bears need to feed Forté down the stretch
After trying to make it as a pass-first offense earlier in the season, offensive coordinator Mike Martz has shown a greater commitment to handing RB Matt Forté the ball since the Bears' Week Eight bye.
Bears-Lions matchup of the day: Tuesday
Keeping Lions DTs Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams from knifing into the backfield to disrupt QB Jay Cutler or blow up a running play will be tough for the Bears' interior offensive linemen.
Week 13 power rankings
Under the radar most of the season, the Bears continue to move up in PFW's power rankings as Jay Cutler begins to hit his stride.
Bears 'deeply saddened' by accidental death of fan at Soldier Field
The Bears released a statement Monday in reaction to the passing of 23-year-old Stuart Haverty, who died Sunday after falling from a ledge at Soldier Field during the Bears-Eagles game.
Consistency on offense essential for Bears
While the matchup between the Bears' defense and the Michael Vick-led Eagles' offense was emphasized heading into Sunday's game, it was Chicago's offense that looked most explosive, scoring a season-high 31 points.
Did Julius Peppers earn his paycheck in Week 12?
Julius Peppers showcased his versatile skills against the Eagles and kept himself in the running for Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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."
