Bears WR Byron Pringle says his offseason arrest was handled in house

Veteran wide receiver Byron Pringle didn’t get off to the greatest start to his Chicago Bears career earlier this offseason.

After inking a one-year, $6 million deal coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs, Pringle was arrested in Florida for reckless driving without a license while his four-year old child was in the vehicle in late April. He was also verbally confrontational with police officers during the incident.

It wasn’t the way Pringle or the Bears wanted their relationship to begin, but speaking with reporters following Wednesday’s minicamp practice, the 28-year old receiver assured everyone that the situation was handled internally.

“I had talked with coach and [general manager Ryan] Poles before it hit the media and everything was squared away in-house,” Pringle said.

He also acknowledged the incident wasn’t a good first impression but wants people to know he is as a person.

“I’m just a hard-working man,” he said. “I love the game. Things happen.”

Pringle signed with the Bears this offseason after spending four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He worked his way up the depth chart and had a career year in 2021, catching 42 passes for 568 yards and five touchdowns.

He’s coming from one of the more successful passing offenses in the NFL to one that has been near the bottom of the league in most categories over the last few years. But like his offseason issues, Pringle doesn’t want to dwell on the past and is instead focused on the future.

“I always keep a smile on my face wherever I go,” Pringle said, smiling. “Keeping that positive energy. Coming here, we’re not worried about the past. We’re trying to go forward. We’re not looking back at what happened in the past. As a unit, we’re trying to be better and hold each other accountable.”

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