LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Chicago Bears released veteran strong safety Adam Archuleta on Tuesday, ending a brief and disappointing tenure with the team. | NFL page

Archuleta, 30, broke a hand early last season and started in just 10 of the 15 games in which he appeared. He lost his starting job to Brandon McGowan and finished the season on special teams.

The Bears drafted LSU safety Craig Steltz in the fourth round last month, but Tuesday's announcement was still a surprise. Coach Lovie Smith said at an NFL combine in February the Bears did not plan to cut Archuleta.

"Adam, just like some more of our players, didn't have the type of season we were hoping, he was hoping," Smith said. "But he's still a part of our ballclub and we're expecting him to come back stronger this year."

The Bears acquired Archuleta from the Washington Redskins in March 2007 for a sixth-round draft pick.

When he joined Washington in 2006, he received the largest contract ever given to a safety: $30 million for six years, with a $10 million bonus. But he flopped, starting seven games while playing mostly on special teams and finishing the season as a third-stringer.

St. Louis drafted Archuleta with the 20th overall pick in 2001.