Every Chicago Bears fan had to feel a whole lot better coming away from Week 6 than they did the game prior. The Bears got a win over the Atlanta Falcons with quarterback Caleb Williams' return being the biggest story.
But, he wasn't the only story. This game featured so many different plays made by a variety of players, and in all three phases of the game. Some of the brighter plays may not even be remembered because of other, more dramatic moments, overshadowing them.
Yet, the Bears had a plethora of guys step up in the win over Atlanta. And some of them are set to be free agents in 2027, so they're worth keeping an eye on throughout the season.
We highlight a few key impending free agents and what type of impact they made against the Falcons, starting with one of the Bears' ultimate "glue" guys.
Noah Sewell steps in and shines without T.J. Edwards
The Bears were down a few key defensive players in this game, including starting linebacker T.J. Edwards. And, in only his second game back from a torn Achilles, Noah Sewell had himself a game.
Sewell jumped off the screen on many plays, whether he was credited for the tackle or not. He was excellent against the run and helped the Bears hold Bijan Robinson to only 61 yards on the ground.
Needless to say, the Bears are deep at linebacker. But, Sewell should be one of them who is brought back in 2027, with the way he's playing, especially coming off of the Achilles injury.
Bears fans got to see Clark Phillips III on defense for the first time
After five weeks of hardly seeing the guy Chicago received in the deal for Gervon Dexter Sr., Bears fans got a glimpse of what Clark Phillips III can do on defense. Up to this point, he had been playing only on special teams, here and there.
But, in Week 6, Phillips was on the field for 22 defensive snaps with the Bears down a few bodies on that side of the ball. He made one play, in particular, where he bulldozed Bijan Robinson and got a hit on quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
The physicality displayed from Phillips reminded me of what we all love about Kyler Gordon. Hopefully, this is a sign of good things to come from Phillips and, maybe, Chicago will keep him around after dealing Dexter to Atlanta. The Bears' cornerback room and future looks muddy, at best, so if Phillips keeps emerging as someone who makes impact plays, I'd expect him to be back in 2027.
Roschon Johnson's day was highlighted by two very different plays
Once again, the Bears were without running back Kyle Monangai and had to rely on Roschon Johnson next to D'Andre Swift. To give him credit, Johnson actually looked fine for much of the game. In Green Bay, he looked like a running back that didn't know what to do with the ball in his hands, moving in slow motion and only straight forward. There was no vision.
Against the Falcons, he actually made a couple of nice plays and didn't hurt the Bears -- right away.
Late in the game, though, Johnson fumbled on a drive that came immediately after Atlanta scored to make it 31-15. Atlanta would recover and go right back down and score again, bringing it to 31-23. That single fumble caused Bears fans to go right back to where they were a week ago -- get him off this team.
On Chicago's final offensive possession, Johnson had a run down near the goal line where he slid rather than scoring, so the Bears could run the clock out.
You could say he sort of redeemed himself, in that moment, but Johnson is still playing his way off this roster next year.
Theo Benedet will soon be a permanent reserve once more
For the first time this season, we saw Ozzy Trapilo at left tackle for the Bears. It was only for 17 snaps, but the Bears started to mix him in and it looks as though Theo Benedet's time as the fill-in starter is almost up.
Braxton Jones, of course, won the job in the offseason while Trapilo was still working his way back from injury.
Both Benedet and Jones will be free agents next year, so it will be interesting to see if either one gets additional time down the stretch this season and how it impacts their free agency.
Josh Blackwell keeps proving he should be a lifelong Bear
It seems like Josh Blackwell makes a great play every week for this team, and that also feels like a statement we've been making for years now. For five seasons, Blackwell has been a special teams ace in Chicago. He doesn't provide much on the defensive side, but as a special teams standout and someone who simply does it better than just about anybody else, he's continued to mandate a spot on this team.
With Blackwell set to be a free agent in 2027, he just keeps making plays, recovering a Zachariah Branch fumble on Sunday and setting the Bears up inside the Falcons' 10-yard line.
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It's easy to say Blackwell isn't a player the Bears should ever allow out of the building. He's that valuable.
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