Joel Iyiegbuniwe has seen his stock dip this season for the Chicago Bears
I have always been a believer in Joel Iyiegbuniwe, but it appears that his time might be coming to an end with the Chicago Bears. With the emergence of newcomer Alec Ogletree and returning veteran Christian Jones, Iyieguniwe could very well be shown an exit.
The one thing keeping him as a possible returning player is his ability to play special teams. Last season he saw 82 percent of the team’s snaps on special teams. The year prior he saw 72 percent and in 2018 he saw 75 percent.
From a defensive snap standpoint, however, he has never seen more than a two percent snap share. This is where Ogletree and Jones have an edge over Iyieguniwe. Both have played as starters on the inside throughout their NFL careers.
For Iyiegbuniwe, it will come down to how many players at each position are kept. Jones and Ogletree are more likely to make the final roster as the true backups to Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith. Some are already saying that Ogletree might even push Trevathan for starting reps. Will the Chicago Bears keep five inside linebackers? If yes, will Iyiegbuniwe earn that final spot due to his special teams reps? We will have to wait and see.