Going into the 2022 NFL Season, the Chicago Bears aren’t Super Bowl favorites, especially when looking at betting odds. However, this roster isn’t a bottom-of-the-barrel roster.
Does the roster have holes? Absolutely, it does. However, it’s a team with plenty of potential if the team pans out correctly.
With younger players in a lot of positions for the Chicago Bears, they’re a team with plenty of question marks to raise the eyes of those who analyze the sport for a living.
Keyshawn Johnson rips the Chicago Bears roster, and says “this roster sucks”
On ESPN NFL Live, former Super Bowl Champion and three-time Pro Bowler Keyshawn Johnson ripped into the Bears’ roster.
"“It’s all about the future, the money, and the draft picks because, quite frankly, this roster sucks. It’s the reality of it. There are no players there. Think about it, [the Chicago Bears] only got two-to-three players that can probably start for another team, and that’s it.” – NFL Live’s Keyshawn Johnson on the Chicago Bears’ roster"
Now, there’s a lot to unpack here.
There are two or three players on the Chicago Bears offense alone that could start on a handful of teams, let alone the entire roster.
Chicago Bears players who could start elsewhere (excluding rookies)
- Justin Fields*
- David Montgomery
- Darnell Mooney
- Byron Pringle
- Cole Kmet
- Lucas Patrick*
- Cody Whitehair
- Julie’n Davenport
- Larry Borom*
- Teven Jenkins*
- Eddie Jackson
- Tavon Young*
- Jaylon Johnson
- Nicholas Morrow*
- Roquan Smith
- Justin Jones
- Robert Quinn
- Trevis Gipson*
* depends on play this season, a little too early to tell
The reason this exercise seems silly is because, all of these players are or were good enough to make an NFL roster at some point in their career. Players like Byron Pringle, Lucas Patrick, Tavon Young, Nicholas Morrow, Justin Jones, etc., are all players who came to the Bears after starting —or at least having significant playing time — from another NFL team.
Now, do the Chicago Bears have two-to-three instant All-Pro players on the team? There’s an argument for and against that argument, but to say that the Bears only have two or three starters on their entire roster is simply untrue.
Do the Chicago Bears have a lot of question marks? Sure, that’s a fair statement. However, to say the Bears have less than five true NFL starters in the NFL is a blasphemous take. That said, these types of takes, especially surrounding a fan base like the Chicago Bears, makes sense for ratings and engagement. So, it’s not surprising to hear a take like this go public.