After getting the franchise tag in February, Alshon Jeffery was reportedly welcomed by his Chicago Bears teammates back when their minicamp started this week.
"I was so happy to see him this morning," Jeffery's teammate Kyle Long shared on the Bear's official site. "I was even happier when I saw him in the huddle and we were calling passing plays, and even happier when I'm seeing him make huge catches in traffic. I told him, 'Dude, it's great to have you back.'"
Jeffery missed out during the voluntary period of the team's offseason program, but he finally attended the mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall to go through the necessary medical testing and game practices.
In March, the 26-year-old wide receiver signed the franchise tender that was issued to him by the team to give him a guaranteed contract for the 2016 season that could be as much as the average salary of the top 5 highest receivers of the league. However, Jeffery would want to ink a long-term deal this time.
But if Jeffery and the Bears' management could not settle an agreement by July 15, the franchise tag policy will be implemented this season.
When asked about his opinion on the possibility of being under franchise tag, Jeffery said in the same report: "That situation will take care of itself. I'm just here to play football. I'm under contract. I'm focused on football and the Bears organization."
Meanwhile, fellow receiver Kevin White told the Chicago Sun Times that it was great to work with Jeffery.
"I'd never been in the huddle with Al," White told the publication after going through the first of the three mandatory minicamp practices of the Bears for the upcoming season. "Being in the huddle was a good feeling; we were talking back and forth to each other, giving each other pointers."
White had no chance of starting with Jeffery for the team last season after he got hurt during one of the team's organized activities last year.
Fans of the Bears are expecting to learn about the developments in Jeffery's contract negotiations in the coming days.
