Which Bears have the most on the line in Week 1?

With Ryan Pace hitting the fast-forward button on the Bears rebuild, expectations are now a thing. The pressure of the NFL season and their ability to fall in positive favor with Bears Nation will be tested in Week 1 at Lambeau Field. Who has the most on the line in Week 1?

Mitchell Trubisky

This will be the biggest game that Trubisky has ever played in his life. The pressure was escalated when Ryan Pace decided to cash in on Khalil Mack this past weekend essentially opening the Bears championship window while Trubisky is under his rookie contract. He has the weapons, the defense, and the system to succeed, so it will be up to Trubisky to master the scheme and find ways to win consistently over the next few seasons. It’s important to note that momentum is important and it can start for Trubisky having a good game against the Bears rivals on prime-time TV.

Eric Kush

Kush has been the de-facto plug and play man on the offensive line this preseason and he gets the opening day nod at left guard. The Bears worked both Kush and second-round pick James Daniels at left guard and center this summer. Cody Whitehair is going to be a lock at center this season, so it will be Kush’s job to hold off the talented rookie. Kush appears to be a stop-gap at the position and he will have to handle the Packers Pro-Bowl defensive lineman Mike Daniels and prevent him from getting to Mitchell Trubisky. If he can do that he may be able to fend off Daniels for the season, but if there are any injuries to any of the interior offensive lineman Kush will be a perfect fit to fill in with his positional versatility.

Jonathan Bullard

Bullard has had time to develop into this defense over the past two seasons, and now he will be thrusted into the starting lineup in Week 1 for the Bears. Behind Mitch Unrein in his first two seasons, Bullard failed to take the starting job, which ultimately led to questions of what he can really be in the NFL. Ryan Pace and the organization want to see what kind of explosiveness he can bring this season, and how he can be successful in one-on-one’s. Bullard needs to get off to a great start because there are players like fifth-round pick Bilal Nichols and Roy Robertson-Harris who are chomping at the bit to make names from themselves in this league.

Khalil Mack

Expectations haven’t been this high for a Bears player since Jay Cutler was brought into Chicago on a similar deal in 2008. Mack was brought in to turn the Bears top-10 defense from last season into a top-5 or better defense this season. His pedigree lies with his three-straight Pro Bowl appearances, two-All-Pro selections, and the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year award. Mack will be asked to fight through double-teams and be the key for the Packers offensive game plan, but he is talented enough to get through those and in the process give Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks one on one matchups.

Kyle Fuller

The Bears matched the contract that the Packers offered Fuller this summer after having a career year in 2017. Fuller is now the leader of the Bears secondary and will draw the Packers top receivers in Davante Adams and Randall Cobb. With Aaron Rodgers behind center it will always be a challenge for opposing cornerbacks to limit the passing attack, but Fuller needs to be able to hold his own defending the pass. Look for him to be physical on the line and prevent the quick slant routes.

Kevin White

White is playing for his NFL career this season and for a guy with the talent that White has its quite unfortunate. The injuries have definitely been a set back, but with flashes of the speed we saw in preseason from White, the hope is to get him involved in Week 1. Everyone is saying what the Bears get from White is “gravy”, but to get the most out of White there needs to be a set of expectations. If White can get his hands on a couple of balls and start to get into a rhythm his NFL career has a chance to live on.

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