Former Chicago Bears starting center Sam Mustipher will don the orange and blue again during the 2024 season — just for the Denver Broncos instead.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos are signing Mustipher to a one-year contract for next season after he played nine games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He spent his previous four years with the Bears and started 40 of 43 games for them.

Mustipher, 27, initially signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie in 2019 and earned a starting spot on their offensive line midway through his second season in 2020. Over the next two seasons, he played more than 2,100 combined snaps at center for them; though, his time in Chicago is not remembered fondly due to his underwhelming play.

While Mustipher gradually improved in his four seasons with the Bears, he struggled to maintain even an average level of play in their offensive trenches for reasons both in and out of his control. According to Pro Football Focus, he also never finished with a pass-blocking grade above 61.7 (2021), prompting the Bears to allow him to walk in 2023 NFL free agency without submitting a restricted free agent tender offer to him.

One year later, Mustipher is heading to Denver to compete for another starting job. The Broncos need a new center after veteran Lloyd Cushenberry signed with Tennessee in free agency last month and now add Mustipher to a position group that also includes Luke Watternberg (2022 fifth-round pick) and Alex Forsyth (2023 seventh-rounder).

According to Over the Cap, Mustipher signed a veteran-minimum contract with the Broncos that will pay him about $1.12 million for the upcoming season.

Bears Reloaded Center Position in 2024 Offseason

The Bears tried — and failed — to make things work with Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick at center last season after moving on from Sam Mustipher. Looking ahead to 2024, though, things appear to be in a better place after a few key roster additions.

Shortly before the start of NFL free agency, the Bears traded their 2024 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for versatile interior lineman Ryan Bates, whom the team had already attempted to acquire once before. During Ryan Poles’ first offseason as general manager in 2022, he signed Bates to a four-year, $17 million offer sheet in free agency. The Bills ultimately matched their offer to avoid losing him to Chicago.