Heading into their Week 14 bye, the Chicago Bears sit at 3-10 and many fans and pundits are already looking toward Chicago’s plans for the offseason. The Bears currently are slated to get the number three overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The team also has over $100 million available to spend in free agency. Needless to say, the Bears have plenty of resources to improve this roster.
The 2022 season was supposed to be this bad for Chicago
The Bears’ roster definitely has some holes on paper. Matt Eberflus and general manager, Ryan Poles cleared out most of the veterans from this team over the summer and at the trade deadline. The 2022 season seems in hindsight a trial season for a lot of young players while practically guaranteeing a good draft pick. The Bears have clearly been tanking this season, with the one-win Houston Texans the sole team with a worse record than the Bears, as this roster does not seem to stack up well against even average NFL teams.
The Chicago Bears have looked good at times throughout this season on offense and defense respectively, but both units have struggled to stay consistent for the entirety of a game. While there are many players on this roster who are probably being asked to do more than they are capable of, this team does contain a handful of talented, young players who serve as bright spots for the fans and the organization in regard to the future of the Bears.
As the Chicago Bears enter the bye week and prepare for the last four games of the 2022 season, there are plenty of players who have the opportunity to cement their status as a starter or contributors for the Bears in 2023 and beyond.
Specifically, these seven players are not only expected to continually improve as this season winds down but should be the cornerstones of the franchise due to their age, position, production, and the capital needed to acquire them. These players should be the focus of the Bears’ remaining games, and fans should watch these players to see the general direction of this franchise in the next few years.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Justin Fields, QB
Justin Fields is obviously the main player the Chicago Bears are looking to build around for the future. The first-round selection for the Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields has starred in his sophomore year as a dual-threat quarterback, playing very productively and breaking records nearly every week.
Expectations were high for Fields coming out of Ohio State, but his rookie season under former head coach Matt Nagy was inconsistent, to say the least. Coming off a rookie season where he accumulated only 2,100 total yards in 12 games (10 of which he started), the new Bears regime in Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles did not have any ties to the Fields as he was drafted by the previous general manager Ryan Pace.
Heading into the 2022 season, many speculated that Fields was auditioning for his job and his place amongst the new regime. Despite a general lack of offensive talent when compared to other NFL rosters, Fields seems to have proven himself as the long-term answer behind center for Eberflus and Poles.
Through 12 games so far this season, Fields has accumulated 2800 total yards, with 21 touchdowns versus 11 total turnovers. Fields has unfortunately struggled at times as a passer this season, ranking 27th in the NFL in total passing yards and is tied for 19th across the league in passing touchdowns.
This can generally be explained by questionable blocking, a lack of explosive wide receiver play, and debatable play-calling down the stretch of many games, but nonetheless, it would be nice to see Fields not only continue to develop as a passer through the end of the season but to also see him continue to elevate the players around as he has done so far.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Cole Kmet, TE
In 2021, his second season as a professional, Cole Kmet had a career-high 612 receiving yards, and this season, the tight end is on pace to match that, and he already has five receiving touchdowns compared to the zero he recorded a season ago.
Kmet has quietly become one of Fields’ favorite targets, as he is currently first in receiving touchdowns for the team, as well as the second-leading receiver in catches and yards.
Kmet’s versatility and his connection with Fields early in both of their careers show that the former Notre Dame standout is a player the Bears will look to build around in the future and should continue to develop in Chicago’s four remaining contests.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Chase Claypool, WR
Much has been made about the lack of talent on this Bears offense for Justin Fields to work with, but to the front office’s credit, they went out and acquired the former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Chase Claypool for a second-round pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
Claypool has not exactly shined so far as a Chicago Bear, with 12 receptions for 111 yards in five games, but the investment the team made in the player forces them to try to keep him around for the long haul.
While his start in Chicago has been somewhat slow, fellow receiver Darnell Mooney’s season-ending injury gives Claypool the opportunity to not only continue to develop with Fields but potentially be the number-one receiver heading into 2023. If Claypool can finish the season strong, there is a chance that he becomes a long-term option for this offense as they continue to increase Fields’ passing production.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Teven Jenkins, OG
A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Teven Jenkins was taken a round after Justin Fields, and while many believed that he could be the long-term tackle to protect the Ohio State product, back injuries and positional changes made many fans less hopeful about the player heading into his second season.
After a short holdout during the summer, Jenkins was moved to right guard where he has shown the power and ability that the Bears saw during the draft process. The Bears’ offensive line certainly has holes across the board, but Jenkins has actually been a bright spot throughout the season.
The end of the season will see many different players get chances to show what they can do on the field, including some young linemen such as Alex Leatherwood getting more snaps down the stretch, but it is undeniable how much better Teven Jenkins has played compared to some of his teammates on the line. Jenkins will certainly be a piece moving forward for this offense.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Jaylon Johnson, CB
A second-round pick from Utah in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jaylon Johnson has played in 38 games for the Chicago Bears, primarily as a boundary corner covering the number one or two receivers for the opposing offense. Johnson has played well throughout his young career, but there is a case that 2022 has been his best, despite the overall lack of defensive production.
Through 10 games as a starter, Johnson has allowed only 319 yards on 23 completions while being targeted 35 times. This season he has had the worst yards per completion allowed in his career, but he has only let up one touchdown compared to five each of the previous two seasons. Johnson is improving year to year and may be able to become the true lockdown corner that is so coveted in the league today.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Jaquan Brisker, S
The first rookie on this list, Jaquan Brisker has been more immediately effective than most second-round picks are expected to be. Brisker came to Chicago as a day-one starter at the strong safety position and instantly became an impact player for a struggling defense. With 73 total tackles, three sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception, Brisker has a legitimate shot for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Brisker, unfortunately, suffered a concussion during Week 11’s contest versus the Atlanta Falcons, but if he is able to return to the field of play at some point down the stretch, it will be important for him to continue to make plays on the back end of this questionable defense. Along with Johnson, Brisker can become a part of a young, explosive defensive backfield that could give opposing quarterbacks problems for years to come.
Chicago Bears Building Block: Jack Sanborn, LB
An undrafted rookie from Wisconsin, linebacker Jack Sanborn has not only been one of the most effective players on defense but looks like he legitimately belongs on an NFL defense. Only becoming a starter after the team traded away Roquan Smith at the deadline, Sanborn’s statistics through five games have been shockingly good.
As a starter in five games, Sanborn has recorded 54 tackles, which puts him at nearly 11 tackles per game. Through a seventeen-game season, that would put him at roughly 187 tackles, which for reference would put him first in the league during the 2021 season.
6 Offensive Linemen the Bears could sign or draft in the offseason
The Chicago Bears need help on the offensive line and the team could look to both free agency and the draft for help in 2023. Here are six options.
Obviously, the sample size for Sanborn is relatively small, but Sanborn’s production early has been outstanding and he certainly deserves to be in Chicago past 2022.