Sitton Comments on Joining the Bears....................

Sitton on joining Bears: 'They had me in first, and they got it done first'

Aug 9, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA;
By: Bryan Perez | 58 minutes ago

The Chicago Bears received a much-needed boost to their offensive line with the signing of All-Pro guard Josh Sitton, who signed with the club just days after being released by the Green Bay Packers.

Sitton, who started all but two games for the Packers since 2009, is expected to start at left guard and combine with Kyle Long to form one of the best guard tandems in the NFL.

“The business side is always the first determining factor,” Sitton said about joining the Bears. “But I think coach Fox is building a team that can win here.”

The addition of Sitton is going to create some intrigue at center, where rookie Cody Whitehair — who was the team’s starting left guard prior to Sitton’s arrival — is expected to push veteran Ted Larsen for the starting job. While it may not happen in time for Week 1, the long-term upside of Whitehair is far greater than Larsen.

Despite Whitehair’s pedigree, the Bears knew that Sitton represented an immediate upgrade and acted quickly to add the 30-year-old mauler.

“[We felt] we have to act quick on this,” Pace said. “He’s right up the road. There are a lot of teams interested in him. Let’s just have him drive down and get on this right now and be aggressive and be decisive and I think the ability to be that way came with our preparation.”

Sitton, who’s expected to start on opening day for the Bears, knew that he had to make a quick decision in advance of the 2016 season.

“The longer it took, the harder it would have been to learn the offense. Chicago, they had me in first, and they got it done first,” he said.

The Bears weren’t the only suitor for Sitton’s services, but they made the most sense for him and his family.

“Honestly, it didn’t have anything to do with sticking it to the Packers. More familiar with the division, close to where I was. I like the weather up here. We had a few other teams interested. It’s too damn hot in the south,” Sitton said.

Bears fans will find joy in the fact that Sitton is a former Packer. His inside knowledge of Green Bay’s personnel will pay dividends when the clubs face off in their historic rivalry this season, an advantage that Chicago will welcome with open arms.

Ryan Pace deserves a big round of applause for getting the deal done, and he explained why it was an easy decision to make.

“He’s a three-time Pro Bowler. He’s extremely strong and powerful in the run game and pass pro. He’s one of those guys that just makes it look easy,” he said.