Chicago Bears 2021 Season: 10 hot takes resulting in a playoff run

9. Chicago Bears newcomer Alec Ogletree will keep the inside linebacker

It has been somewhat saddening to see the decline of veteran linebacker Danny Trevathan over the past couple of years. But, the difference is noticeable. Trevathan hasn’t been the same guy he was when he got to Chicago.

In training camp and preseason alone, fans got to see what a speedy, versatile replacement might look like once Alec Ogletree signed with the Bears. It is fair to say that nobody saw Ogletree’s ascension coming. But, it has certainly been welcomed.

While Trevathan sits on IR for a few games, Ogletree will be starting next to Roquan Smith. Quite frankly, these two are a match made in heaven. Between Smith’s ability to go sideline to sideline and make tackles in bunches, and Ogletree’s nose for the football, the Bears have quite a combination here.

Defensive coordinator Sean Desai has been preaching takeaways, as we mentioned earlier, and Ogletree understands that these are the focal point. He began his stint with the Bears intercepting six passes within his first four practices, after all.

Ogletree gets his chance now, and he is going to play much different than we’ve been used to seeing Trevathan — so well, that Nagy will be forced to keep him within the starting defense.