Chicago Bears: Early Pro Bowl Watch

Here’s an early look at who could be headed to this year’s Pro Bowl from the Chicago Bears.

The Chicago Bears haven’t had much representation in the Pro Bowl the last few years, and for good reason. Sure, they’ve had some snubs over the last few seasons, but when the team performs as woeful as they have been, it’s hard to complain about the lack of Pro Bowlers on the team.

This year though, the team is off to a solid 2-1 start and the NFL media is really starting to buzz about the team’s defense. The Bears will have a few Pro Bowlers this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Who’s got a shot? We take an early look at potential Chicago Bears’ Pro Bowlers this season.

Locks

Khalil Mack, OLB- Mack is arguably on his way to Defensive Player of the Year, perhaps even MVP consideration, being invited to the Pro Bowl is already a foregone conclusion. He already has 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and a pick six. Mack has been a dominant force.

Likely

Akiem Hicks, DE- Hicks should have made the Pro Bowl last year, but after a quiet December and a deep position, Hicks wasn’t given the nod by the voters. This season, Hicks is no longer the focal point of the defense with the arrival of Mack and he’s been a complete force up front for the Bears’ defense. With the defense getting national recognition, Hicks will be tough to pass up.

Kyle Long, G- Long made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2013 to 2015. Long’s last two seasons have been derailed by injury. But this season, Long is healthy again and he’s been flattening people. Through three games, he’s absolutely regained his form and if he stays healthy, he will be headed back to the Pro Bowl.

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On the Fence

Eddie Goldman, NT- Goldman has been a disruptive force so far and has made some very good plays up front. Goldman is going up against a deep position in the NFC and the fact that Hicks is going to get the nod ahead of him. Can Goldman get a Pro Bowl spot when one of his line-mates is already on the team and by the nature of his position he won’t amass that many statistics? Might be tough to overcome.

Danny Trevathan, ILB- Trevathan has gotten off to a nice start, including Defensive Player of the Week honors in week two. Trevathan has definitely reaped the benefits of having Mack next to him and Goldman and Hicks dominating in front of him. As Roquan Smith continues to get comfortable, offenses will focus on Trevathan even less. He is in store for a very solid season.

Jordan Howard, RB- Howard is not off to a great start. He’s currently seventh in the NFC in rushing yards and only averaging 3.4 yards per carry. But as the season moves along, expect Howard’s numbers to return to what he’s been able to do, and he’ll have far more catches in the mix this season as well. If Howard has comparable numbers than what he’s had his first two seasons, but does it for a team with a winning record, he will have a good shot to go, but with Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and even a reborn Adrian Peterson, there’s a lot of competition in the NFC.

Eddie Jackson, S- Jackson is a playmaker. When you make big plays, you get noticed and that’s what it takes for safeties to go to the Pro Bowl. Jackson in three games already has a sack, two passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble. If Jackson continues to make big plays, he’s going to get noticed and it could launch him to a Pro Bowl spot.

Longshots

Allen Robinson, WR- The Bears’ offense should be expected to continue to improve as the season progresses, and if Robinson’s numbers improve at all, he could be in line for a big year. Through three games, Robinson is off to a very quiet, but very nice start. Robinson is on pace for 91 catches and 1040 yards. He’s also tallied 11 first downs in the first three games. If Robinson keeps this pace up and adds some touchdowns into the mix, he will have a shot to earn a spot.

Charles Leno, T- The haters are going to hate this, but Leno has had a very good season thus far. He’s kept the left side of the line strong despite the struggles of Eric Kush. If PFF is your thing, Leno currently ranks sixth among all tackles in the entire NFL. Leno never comes out, he’s never hurt, and he might get some recognition this year.

Trey Burton, TE- Burton’s involvement in the offense has increased each week. In week one, he only had 1 catch for 15 yards, week two it was 4 catches for 20 yards and week three it was 4 catches for 55 yards. If Burton’s involvement is more like it was the last two games, Burton is going to end up having a season where he has 65 catches for 700 yards and about 7 or 8 scores. If Burton reaches those numbers, he’ll be in the conversation for Pro Bowl tight ends.

Roquan Smith, ILB- Smith is third on the team in tackles. What makes that so impressive is that he barely played in week one and he’s a rookie on an elite defense. Smith is going to have to keep improving and keep making tackles. If he can work his way among the league leaders in tackles and force a few fumbles along the way, he will have a shot.

Bryce Callahan, CB- Callahan has had an outstanding season thus far. He’s been a solid run defender, been the team’s best defender of the pass and has basically dominated the slot thus far. Whether or not Callahan gets enough recognition for his play is another story. PFF currently has him second among CBs for their rankings this year, but last year Amos was an elite status with PFF and that didn’t earn him a Pro Bowl spot. Callahan has a shot, but he’s going to have to make some splashy plays along the way.