Will Henry Melton’s arrest impact his future with Chicago Bears?

Chicago Bears franchise defensive tackle Henry Melton was arrested over the weekend which is raising questions about the pending free agent’s future in Chicago.

Here is what Hall of Fame sportswriter Dan Pompei said via his Sulia page on the future of Melton with the Bears”

"“We don’t have all the details yet, but I don’t believe Melton’s arrest for assault and public intoxication by itself would prevent the Bears from trying to re-sign him. Put it this way, if the team had cut ties with every player who ever got drunk and took a swing at someone in a bar, the Bears would have considerably fewer hall of famers. But I think it’s possible that the arrest could be part of a bigger picture that might concern Bears’ management. Is Melton’s head in the right place? Is he doing what he’s supposed to do to rehab his knee injury? Is he completely committed to the organization? Those are questions that need to be answered in the affirmative if Melton is going to have a future in Chicago. if Melton is doing everything the right way, I think he will be back. If not, he might find that another suitor is willing to pay more than the Bears.”"

I’ve never been one to disagree with Pompei’s opinion on the Bears or the NFL and I wholeheartedly agree with him in regard to Melton and his future with the Bears. This single arrest won’t be a ticket out of town, but the questions Pompei raises in response to the incident are ones certainly being asked inside the Bears front office.

The Bears have sorely missed the penetrating defensive tackle as the team ranks dead last in rush defense this year, but with Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs and Tim Jennings also free agents at the end of the year in addition to quarterback, Jay Cutler there may not be enough cash left to bring him back.