The Chicago Bears escaped in Week 9.
It was a near-disaster in prime time as Caleb Williams and the offense endured quite the struggle. But, a win is a win.
As we do every week, let's check in on some of the 2027 free agents-to-be and see how they impacted the Bears' ability to ride to 7-2 on the year.
Roschon Johnson was a literal no-show against the Buccaneers
After Zavier Scott was placed on injured reserve and Kyle Monangai was officially listed out against the Bucs, many Bears fans probably thought this was going to be yet another game where Roschon Johnson gets some run.
Surprisingly enough, Ben Johnson not only opted to elevate Salvon Ahmed for this one, but essentially replace Johnson with Ahmed seeing all of the RB2 snaps.
Johnson appeared on exactly zero offensive snaps against Tampa Bay. After a few weeks of so-so production from the third-string running back, it looks like the Bears are officially done giving him opportunities.
You can expect the Bears to look at finding another RB3 in 2027, whether it be via the draft or free agency.
Clark Phillips stepped up and showed signs of life after the Bears' CB depth took a hit
The Bears' cornerback room took some hits in this game. There were multiple instances where Tyrique Stevenson left the field as well as one particularly-scary play where Kyler Gordon went down.
Because of this, Clark Phillips III got some additional run, playing 23 total snaps and 16 of them being in coverage.
We had to wait a few games before seeing Phillips on the field, with the defense, but he's now appeared in four-straight contests, in some capacity.
Against the Bucs, Phillips saw two targets but didn't allow a catch. On the season, he's now allowed an opposing quarterback rating of just 50.7.
It's a small sample size, but Phillips is proving he could be the type of depth Chicago needs in this room, going forward. Let's not forget he was part of the trade that sent Gervon Dexter Sr. out of Chicago.
Kalif Raymond's involvement isn't going away anytime soon
As disastrous and erratic as the offense looked for much of the night against Tampa Bay, Kalif Raymond was still a big part of it, earning seven targets from Caleb Williams.
He caught four of them for 32 yards and continues to prove he's worth getting the ball to. Raymond's speed gives the offense a nice boost, here and there. Plus, he isn't going to kill the Bears with silly penalties like Zavion Thomas had early in this game.
After Thomas was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and a 15-yard penalty, he was relegated to the bench.
Raymond's presence and veteran savviness has shown up several times, this year, and even at 32 years old, he's continuing to prove he could be valuable going into the coming years.
Theo Benedet plays 100 percent of LT snaps for second-straight game
After attempting to get Ozzy Trapilo involved on a few series, here and there, Ben Johnson has kept the second-year pro on the bench in back-to-back games.
Instead, it's been Theo Benedet playing 100 percent of offensive snaps at left tackle.
Benedet has been fine, but nothing special. He hasn't stood out one way or another which, I guess, isn't all bad. For what it's worth, Benedet earned a strong 79.5 grade in the pass-blocking department, courtesy of PFF, for his Week 9 performance.
If anything, with the way he's been able to lock down the position, Benedet has earned strong consideration to be brought back after this season. He's been a valuable player, for the Bears, after watching Braxton Jones go down with another season-ending injury.
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