The Chicago Bears are entering uncharted territory with quarterback Caleb Williams injured and expected to miss time for the first time in his NFL career.
Williams hasn't been ruled out yet, but he will not practice with his hamstring injury, and signs point to him not playing. His backup, Tyson Bagent, is also in jeopardy of not playing, as he is going through concussion protocol.
With the quarterback position in disarray at the moment, the Bears really need some guys to step up- with Williams potentially being out- and make some plays either on offense or defense. Here's a look at the players who really need to step up in Chicago.
Which Bears players need to step up while Caleb Williams is out?
Colston Loveland, TE
One catch for three yards is about as concerning as it gets for a tight end expected to have a Pro Bowl-caliber season. Loveland has all the abilities to do the job, but has not been involved in the offense at all. With Case Keenum potentially starting, the tight end position is about to become his best friend, so Loveland better be ready to step up.
Jaylon Johnson, CB
Johnson has been pretty horrendous, to put it as nicely as possible, through two games. He has allowed a passer rating of 114.8 and eight receptions, averaging 21 yards per catch. Tyrique Stevenson is week-to-week and could miss Week 3, putting more pressure on Johnson to step up and be the Pro Bowl cornerback Bears fans remember from 2023 and 2024.
Montez Sweat, DE
Sweat got a sack in Week 1, but was shut out in Week 2's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He's had a good start to the season, but the defense has to play better and give the offense a chance to hold on to the ball for a long time. That will require Sweat to really break loose and create more negative plays through sacks.
T.J. Edwards, LB
While Edwards isn't producing the tackle numbers Bears fans are used to, he bounced back in the Vikings games with strong coverage. Still, Edwards will be needed to stop the Eagles' rushing attack and get more involved in tackles. Chicago needs him to be the run stopper they know he can be.
Luther Burden III, WR
Burden has had some nice moments, but he really hasn't had a highlight play in two weeks. Keenum doesn't have the arm strength that Williams has, so Burden will really need to pick up those YAC yards. If he can use his feet and quickness to make some defenders miss, Burden could cause some issues for the defense, but the Bears need him to get it done.
Read more: Ozzy Trapilo might oddly be a better lineman after injury than Bears fans expect
Braxton Jones, LT
Ozzy Trapilo is close to returning, but Jones still appears to be the left tackle starter. Jones has not played badly, but not great either, to start the season, allowing two pressures and drawing one penalty. He doesn't have Williams' legs to bail him out of trouble in the near future, so Jones really needs to come through in pass protection.
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