5 Candidates with potential to breakout for the Chicago Bears in 2022
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears Breakout Candidate No. 4: Trevis Gipson
Not many people expected Trevis Gipson to be an impactful player in 2021, but with Khalil Mack missing significant time due to injury, Gipson became far more than just a rotational piece. In nine starts, Gipson recorded seven sacks and five forced fumbles. As a day three pick, Gipson has already far surpassed expectations. But Gipson has the chance to make the jump from quality starter to one of the leaders on the Chicago defense.
Gipson’s production as a pass rusher went well beyond sacks in 2021. He was PFF’s 10th graded pass rusher with an 87.0 grade. Although some might take more stock in PFF grades than others, the fact that Myles Garrett Max Crosby, TJ Watt, and Joey Bosa take the top four spots on the list shows that there is a clear correlation between grades and production. Gipson’s run defense, on the other hand, was subpar at best. This isn’t the most important part of his position, but he has a lot of room to improve in that area.
The big question for Gipson will be how effective of a rusher he can be without Robert Quinn producing sacks at the ridiculous level he did in 2021. Quinn garnered so much attention from opposing offensive lines, that it was easy to forget about Gipson. However, it’s highly unlikely this will be the case in 2022. 18.5 sacks in a season with a low-pressure rate isn’t sustainable, and at 32, Quinn may lose a step. This is where players like Gipson will need to step up to make up for any regression in Quinn’s production.