Bears release Cedric Benson

Another No. 1 bites the dust.

Despite his lofty draft status and the $13 million he received in guaranteed bonus money, the Bears decided Monday afternoon that running back Cedric Benson wasn't worth the aggravation and they cut the troubled running back with two years left on a five-year, $35 million contract.

Benson's latest arrest, early Saturday morning in Austin, Texas, for DWI, came just 35 days after he was arrested and charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest on Lake Travis, near Austin. He has disputed both of the boating charges, as have two witnesses. Benson also claimed not to have been intoxicated during his latest arrest.

But the Bears weren't buying it.

More Coverage Stories Angelo taking Benson DUI situation 'very seriously' [6/08/08] Imrem: Now at Booth 32: 'Proper etiquette for refusing to take a Breathalyzer' [6/08/08] Benson may have run out of options with new DUI arrest [6/07/08] Competition opens at QB, RB during Bears' minicamp [5/29/08] Benson says he's ready for any challenges [5/22/08] 'Disappointed' Angelo isn't hedging on Benson [5/11/08] Rozner: Benson story just doesn't stand up [5/08/08] Benson talks with Smith, Angelo [5/07/08] Imrem: Wins, losses bottom line in sports [5/06/08] One arrest shouldn't seal Benson's fate [5/06/08] Imrem: Bears might be wise to say goodbye to Benson [5/05/08] Smith 'disappointed' by Benson's arrest [5/05/08]

"Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate," said general manager Jerry Angelo, who drafted Benson fourth overall out of Texas in 2005. "As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions. When individual priorities overshadow team goals, we suffer the consequences as a team. Those who fail to understand the importance of 'team' will not play for the Chicago Bears."

Hours after Benson's latest brush with the law, Angelo had said, "Disappointment is too much an often-used word when we're talking about Cedric."

According to his attorney, Sam Bassett, Benson showed up at Halas Hall Monday morning in preparation for that day's practice but was instructed to go home by Bears coach Lovie Smith, who declined to comment on the running back's status after practice.

Benson tried to do some last-minute damage control by issuing a statement of apology through Atlanta attorney David Cornwell, but less than an hour later he was an ex-Bear.

"I apologize for making the poor decision to drink and drive during the early morning of Saturday, June 7th," Benson said in the statement. "Given the incident last month, it was a particularly bad decision. I have no excuse for this lack of judgment.

"Though I strongly believe that I am not guilty of any crime, I realize that the public and the Bears organization hold me to higher standard. Though my local attorneys will continue to work hard to prove my innocence, I confess to using poor judgment. Please accept my deepest apology."

The Bears will save $820,000 in salary by releasing Benson, but they will take a $2.575 million cap hit in each of the next two season due to the prorated portion of his signing bonus.

Because Benson's play on the field was as erratic and disappointing as his behavior off it, his loss shouldn't have a huge affect on the Bears, who finished dead last in average gain per rushing attempt last season.

It does, however, leave them with a lack of depth at the position. Rookie Matt Forte, an unsigned second-round pick from Tulane, becomes the Bears' featured runner by default.

The only other running backs on the roster with NFL experience are journeyman Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe. Peterson is a seventh-year veteran who averaged just 3.4 yards per carry last season, the same as Benson. Wolfe, an undersized second-year player, averaged only 2.7 yards on 31 carries as a rookie in 2007.

Benson never came close to living up to expectations. In his three injury-marred seasons with the Bears, he rushed for a total of 1,593 yards on 420 carries for a 3.8-yard average and 10 touchdowns.

His lack of production was a major disappointment after his college career at Texas, where he piled up 5,540 yards on 1,112 carries and scored 64 touchdowns.

Benson's inconsistent play was exacerbated by a string of injuries. In his first NFL start in Week 10 in 2005, the rookie picked up 50 yards on 12 carries against the San Francisco 49ers but he sprained a knee and missed the next six games.

The next season, Benson was given the starting job after Thomas Jones failed to participate in any of the Bears' voluntary off-season workouts. Then, in a light-contact and 11-on-11 drill, he suffered a separated shoulder after a collision with safety Mike Brown. Throughout that camp, Benson was hit harder than Jones by defensive players, many of whom favored the older veteran who had rushed for a career-best 1,335 yards the previous season.

Jones and Benson both helped the Bears to Super Bowl XLI that season, but Jones got about twice as many carries, although they had identical averages of 4.1 yards per carry. Benson enjoyed his most productive stretch as a pro in the second half of that season, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in the final seven regular-season games. But he suffered another sprained knee in the first quarter of the 29-17 Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

With Jones traded to the New York Jets the following off-season, Benson had the No. 1 job all to himself last season but failed to capitalize, rushing for a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry and losing playing time to Peterson. Benson's season came to a premature conclusion when he suffered a fractured ankle on Nov. 25 and missed the final five games.

Benson is the latest in an ever-lengthening list of recent Bears first-round picks to fall far short of expectations.

Heisman Trophy-winning running back Rashaan Salaam played just three seasons after being drafted in the first round in 1995 and finished with numbers depressingly similar to Benson's, rushing for 1,682 yards on 470 carries and a 3.6-yard average.

The Bears went back to the running back well in 1998 and came away with Penn State's quirky Curtis Enis, who also lasted three seasons and was equally unproductive, rushing 456 times for 1,497 yards for a 3.3-yard average.

In 1999, the Bears busted on quarterback Cade McNown, who was banished after two forgettable seasons. In 2001, they went the wrong way with wide receiver David Terrell, who lasted four seasons but never caught more than 43 passes in any of them.

Defensive lineman Michael Haynes (2003), a Big Ten sack leader, was gone after three years and never had more than 2 sacks in any NFL season. Offensive tackle Marc Colombo (2002) spent the vast majority of his four seasons in Chicago rehabbing a dislocated knee cap before being released and catching on with the Cowboys.