Burroughs High’s Britton stays with Chicago Bears

Former Burroughs High standout Eben Britton will have a familiar home this upcoming season.

The five-year National Football League offensive lineman signed a one-year deal to remain with the Chicago Bears on Thursday afternoon.

“I’m really excited to be back with the Bears,” Britton told ChicagoBears.com on Thursday. “After last season it was really the only way I hoped free agency would go. I’m just really excited to get back to work and back with the guys.

“My family is really happy and excited. They love Chicago and love the Bears. Last year was a great experience for us and we’re really happy to be coming back.”

The 26-year-old Britton made four starts last season and played in 13 total games in his first year in Chicago. The 6-foot-6, 308-pound Britton played for a Bears offense that set several franchise records, including most total passing yards and passing touchdowns.

Britton was generally an extra lineman brought in for specific packages although he did see extensive time at right tackle late in the season due to injuries.

“Eben is a guy that we have great confidence in because he can do a lot of different things, obviously,” Bears Coach Marc Trestman told the Chicago Tribune on Thursday.

“He can play a lot of different positions. He knows all the positions, so his value is he can do a lot of different things and do them sufficiently to allow us to win a game and that is how we look at him. He is very good in the meeting room. He’s a very good teammate and a guy in the locker room and when he is in a game we trust him he will do his job.”

Britton, a 2005 Burroughs High alumnus, was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 39th pick in the 2009 NFL draft and spent four years with the team.