Former Tennessee Vols WR Pig Howard Signs With Chicago Bears

Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Pig Howard is getting a chance in the NFL.

Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Pig Howard has been signed by the Chicago Bears, according to multiple reports.

The former Vol will reunite with Zach Azzanni in Chicago. Azzanni was Howard’s wide receivers coach at Tennessee.

Howard played at Tennessee from 2012-15. He caught 99 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns during his career on Rocky Top. He also rushed for two touchdowns.

The Orlando native unfortunately had an unceremonious end to his Vol career. After dealing with multiple suspensions, Howard was eventually kicked off the team in October 2015.

Howard was a talented player that was a perfect fit for Butch Jones’ offense at Tennessee, but he just couldn’t get past his off-the-field issues. 247Sports reported in 2016 that multiple failed drug tests were the reason Howard was removed from the team.

It’s no coincidence that Howard is reuniting with Azzanni in Chicago. Azzanni threw plenty of praise Howard’s way during their time together at Tennessee.

The Bears signing Howard is absolutely at Azzanni’s request.

Chicago doesn’t have a lot of proven playmakers at the wide receiver position, but they do have plenty of options. Cameron Meredith, Kevin White, Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, Reuben Randle, Victor Cruz and Deonte Thompson, among a few others, are all currently on the Bears’ roster.

Next: Final 2017 Game By Game Predictions For Vols

And all of those players stand between Howard and the 53-man roster. I doubt Howard makes the Bears’ final 53-man roster, but if he performs well enough he might find a spot on Chicago’s practice squad.