18 Players the Chicago Bears gave up on way too soon

Let me preface this with the fact that I am not including any players prior to 1980. If you have been watching the Chicago Bears for a very long time, please comment on our Facebook page with some of the older guys I may have overlooked. The reason I didn't go back that far is because I wasn't born until 1983. I don't have enough experience with players who played much earlier.

When it comes to sports, the team a player lands with can be very important in their career. Patrick Mahomes' landing with Kansas City has helped him become one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Had he landed in Chicago or with the New York Jets, that probably doesn't fully happen. Sure, he will still be great, but situations can play a big part in a player's career. This is why there are occasions when a player goes to a new team and succeeds, or in some cases, flourishes.

The Chicago Bears gave up way to soon on Greg Olsen

The Chicago Bears drafted Greg Olsen in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Tight ends don't usually come in and make a huge impact in their first year or two. This was the case for Olsen. In his rookie season, he started four games and played in 14. He saw 66 targets but only caught 39 of them for 391 yards and two touchdowns. In his sophomore season, Olsen saw 82 targets and 54 of them. He gained 574 yards and scored five touchdowns. In 2009, Olsen finally became the full-time starter and broke out even more. He caught 60 of 108 targets for 619 yards and eight touchdowns.

Rather than signing Olsen to a contract extension, the Chicago Bears traded him to the Carolina Panthers. This call mostly had to do with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Martz was not big on receiving tight ends and instead wanted a guy who can block. The Bears got a third-round pick in return and the Panthers got a future Hall of Famer. Olsen went to three Pro Bowls and was voted All-Pro twice. This might have been the most obvious name on this list. To make matters worse, Martz only lasted another season before never coaching in the NFL again.