Former Saints safety Rafael Bush signs with Lions
Rafael Bush, who hit the free agent market after four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, has reportedly signed with the Detroit Lions.
It was reported Thursday that safety Rafael Bush was taking a visit to Detroit, but the New Orleans Saints were also still interested in brining him back to the Big Easy. However, Bush agreed to a ‘one-year prove-it’ deal with the Lions worth up to $2.4 million, according to NFL Network. He has missed 21 games since 2013.
Safety Rafael Bush is signing with the #Lions, source said. More secondary help.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2016
For the #Lions and former #Saints S Rafael Bush, it's a 1-year deal worth up to $2.4M, source said. Will prove himself after battling injury
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2016
When healthy (major emphasis on the word ‘when’), Rafael Bush proved to be a valuable commodity as the Saints’ backup safety and as a special teams contributor. But he hasn’t played a full season since 2012, his first year in New Orleans after stints with the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos.
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Bush took over starting duties in 2014 in place of the injured Jairus Byrd. However, his season was also cut short after ten games due to a leg injury. He missed all of 2015 after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Rafael Bush, who garnered a lot of love from Saints fans after laying out Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin in the 2013 NFC Divisional Playoff loss, is known for is physicality. That can without question take a toll on the human body, unfortunately. In four seasons with the Saints, he tallied 121 combined tackles, eight passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries.
Sounds like it's a three-team race for safety Chris Conte. #Bucs, #Saints and #Giants all in the mix.
— Rand Getlin (@RandGetlin) March 11, 2016
Those No. 25 Reggie Bush jerseys that Saints fans kept around (Rafael also wore No. 25) won’t be of use anymore for anything other than “throwback” purposes. New Orleans is reportedly interested in free agent safety Chris Conte to possibly fill the void.