3 players who played their last game for the Chicago Bears
By Peter Jurich
Three starters the Chicago Bears will let walk in 2023
With the 2022 regular season officially over, teams who missed the playoffs like the Chicago Bears are now focused on the offseason, and will look to improve their rosters for the following season. While the Bears will be focused on adding players with their league-high $130 million in cap room as well as the first overall pick, the first step is in fact to decide which pending free agents the Bears will re-sign, and who they will not.
The Bears only have a few starters and contributors who will hit free agency this offseason, and while many will probably not get resigned, these are the three most important players the Chicago Bears may let walk this spring.
David Montgomery, RB
After failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension earlier in 2022, Montgomery played this past season knowing it could be his last in Chicago. In 2022, Montgomery accumulated over 1,100 yards on 201 carries and 34 receptions, as well as six total touchdowns. Contributing to the number one rushing team in the league, Montgomery showed that he is still a versatile running back who uses his speed, agility, and power to consistently gain yards on carries.
However, there are many running backs who could potentially hit free agency this offseason, and with the emergence of Khalil Herbert in 2022, it seems that the team may swing big on a player like Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, or Kareem Hunt to pair with the young Virginia Tech product.
Sam Mustipher, C
Mustipher was a full-time starter this season at center, playing 1,021 snaps for the Bears and missing only 10. At 6’2″ and over 320 lbs, Mustipher is a large interior force who can be dominant in the inside zone, and downhill running schemes, but for the Chicago Bears, who run an outside zone scheme, he is slow at times and struggles to cover down linemen in certain schemes.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Mustipher’s career thus far has been a huge success compared to expectations, but with the Bears looking to improve the offensive line across the board this off-season, it would make sense for both the team and the player to split. Hopefully, Mustipher can find a role on an offense that is more reliant on his skill set, but I would be surprised to see him back in Chicago for 2023.
Nicholas Morrow, LB
Signed to a one-year deal before the 2022 season, Morrow was a stop-gap player to essentially fill out the roster. A starter for 17 games, Morrow accumulated 116 tackles with the Bears, and while he proved that he is a solid linebacker who certainly has a spot in the NFL, the team may tear apart the linebacking core outside of undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn.
With coach Matt Eberflus being a former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, it is likely that the front office will replace Morrow with a draft pick or high-profile free agent to build out the unit with Sanborn likely returning as a starter in 2023.