Bears OL Josh Sitton: Going to NFC North rival not aimed at Packers

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- New Bears offensive lineman Josh Sitton swears the decision to sign with NFC North rival Chicago was not meant to get back at the Green Bay Packers, who released the three-time Pro Bowl guard over the weekend.

"Honestly, it didn't have anything to do with sticking it to the Packers," Sitton said Monday. "I'm more familiar with the division. [Chicago is] close to where I was. I like the weather up here. We had a few other teams interested. It's too damn hot in the south."

With a three-year, $21.5 million contract in hand, Sitton, 30, is getting a crash course in the Bears' offense with six days left until the regular-season opener. The veteran smiled when asked how quickly he expects to learn the new terminology.

"Ask me next Monday," Sitton said. "I'll let you know. The offense is completely different. Obviously, all the plays you run are the same thing. It's just terminology. You got to learn it. That shouldn't be too terrible.

"But I wanted to get the decision made yesterday or today, as quickly as I can. I wanted to get to where I was going and be able to learn the offense and be able to jump in right this week. The longer it took, the harder it would have been to learn the offense. Chicago, they had me in first, and they got it done first."

Fellow guard Kyle Long said Monday he actively recruited Sitton over the weekend when news broke that Green Bay wanted to move in a different direction on its offensive line. Long and Sitton know each other from playing in the Pro Bowl the past three seasons.

"I just wouldn't let myself get out of the loop on it," Long said. "I wouldn't get out of his ear. Getting him here was really big. Credit our guys upstairs for making it happen."

Long continued: "I think it shows that we want to win. It's an exciting time. Obviously bringing in a guy like Josh, who has done it for so long. ... At the beginning of the year, when I think about guys I got to beat out to be the guy, No. 71 is usually one of the two of three guys that I circle as guys I have to beat. Now he is on our team. It's a great thing for our group. I know Jay Cutler probably appreciates it."

If Long is healthy -- he practiced Monday for the first time since suffering shoulder injury -- Sitton is slated to take over at left guard, a move that could slide rookie Cody Whitehair over to center. Whitehair played left guard the entire preseason before Chicago landed Sitton on Sunday night.

"I think [center is] his best position," coach John Fox said of Whitehair, the Bears' 2016 second-round pick. "Unfortunately, prior to the acquisition of Josh, we weren't real fluid to put him there a whole lot, but he has had reps."