The Chicago Bears are getting ready for what could be a very exciting season. The team has an improved roster and a strong offseason, and some players are expected to become breakout performers.
Which players on the Bears are most likely to break out in the 2024 season?
3. The Chicago Bears should get the best from Kyler Gordon this season
If the little bit of work that Kyler Gordon saw in the preseason is any indication, this is going to be a big year for him. The trajectory was already that way anyway, though. Gordon was awful as a rookie, but his arrow was pointing sky high in year two.
That is because the team went from asking him to play both inside and outside to becoming a slot-only player. The addition of Tyrique Stevenson allowed his career to blossom.
Gordon was stuck in the slot last year and looked like the second-round pick he was supposed to be, not the bust he looked like in year one. Now, he is in his second season of mastering one role. He is in the same defense because while there is a new coordinator, it is still a Matt Eberflus-run unit and the role is one that Eberflus had success with before.
Gordon can blitz off of the edge, and he can defend the run with a strong willingness to tackle. His coverage ability is excellent in the slot as he can spring onto receivers crossing into his zone.
If Gordon improves from last year he will go from a fan favorite to a league-wide favorite. Fans should expect to see this from him.
2 .Gervon Dexter is an obvious breakout candidate for the Chicago Bears
Depending on how you look at the rookie season Dexter is likely how you think he will fare in his second NFL season. Dexter did not light the world on fire with statistics last season, but he also was not playing much as he was behind Justin Jones.
His flashes and his pre-snap numbers showed that he was a rookie with promise. Now, he is expected to start and be a key member of the Bears defense. Dexter had brief flashes in the preseason, but if anything, his play in the preseason should tell us how much the Bears trust him.
They gave him the clear-cut starter treatment and they did not act like they needed to see much from Dexter. Dexter already has the physical traits that would make him a monster inside. He has not only a great defensive coach, Matt Eberflus, but also a defensive coordinator Eric Washington, who has made the most out of interior defensive linemen. Both are as high as possible on Dexter this year.
Going from a part-time player to one of the make-or-break members of the unit calls for a breakout season. Will Gervon Dexter give this to the Chicago Bears?
1. Will the Chicago Bears get the best of Teven Jenkins this season?
Of the three breakout candidates, this may be the boldest one. However, when Teven Jenkins is healthy, no one really denies that he has a skill set worthy of being deemed a breakout player. His return to the lineup is what set off the start of the team getting hot towards the end of last year.
Now, Jenkins has a lot to prove. This is the last year of his rookie salary contract. We know that Ryan Poles did not draft Jenkins and has moved him to a new position in two of the past three years.
Still, this is the one year since Jenkins moved. This is also the year where Jenkins is not entering the season with any questions about his injury status and role on the team. He is healthy and starting.
So, the left guard has a chance to get out of the starting blocks with a strong pace, which has never happened before in his career. The injuries can come out of nowhere, but you have to expect Jenkins to do everything in his power to get through 17 games and show any team looking to sign him that he is durable. This is a big year for him, and the signs are pointing towards him living up to the mark. Time will tell if that is the case.