Chicago Bears running back Kahlil Bell, a restricted free agent, is in the process of signing the qualifying offer that the team tendered to him last month, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. The deal is worth $1.26 million, the minimum amount that the team could've offered him.
Bell made three starts for the Bears late last season after other players went down with injuries, proving to be a solid option out of the backfield. Carrying the ball 79 times last season, Bell ran for 337 yards, good for a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. He also caught 19 balls for 133 yards and scored a touchdown.
The 25-year-old was signed by the Bears after being an undrafted free agent out of UCLA. He's appeared in 19 games for Chicago since 2009, accumulating 694 total yards and a touchdown. Next season, he'll presumably be the third-string back behind starter Matt Forte and back-up Michael Bush.
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