8 Chicago Bears who must return in 2021

Pat O’Donnell should shockingly be a Chicago Bears priority

I know what you are thinking. Pat O’Donnell is a priority? Well, until this Chicago Bears offense proves to be anything more than average, having a solid kicker is very important. In 2020, O’Donnell punted the ball 64 times — 10th most in the league.

Some might look at O’Donnell’s average punt distance and say, but he’s in the bottom half of the league. A punter is a dime a dozen and there’s no reason to worry about bringing him back in 2021. Here’s the thing, O’Donnell performed as a punter where it counts most of all. He finished the season third in punts within the 20 yard-line. The league leader finished with 32 while O’Donnell ended the season with 28.

With all of the other holes the Chicago Bears are going to face in the upcoming offseason, bringing back O’Donnell just makes the most sense. The team should not overpay him though. He made $1.75 million in 2020. I would not give him more than $2 million per year.