The Chicago Bears are onto the back half of the 2023 season, and despite their record, the team has reason to believe they will finish stronger than they have started. Beyond some younger players growing in their roles and the team getting healthier, there are a few free agents who will be auditioning for a new team after the season is over. Which players may show up with the money on the line?
5. The Chicago Bears and Darnell Mooney want to see him finish strong
Darnell Mooney is a free agent at the end of this season, and the odds of him returning get lower by the week. They were already microscopic when the team drafted Tyler Scott, essentially a future replacement for him.
Still, Mooney has recovered from a serious ankle injury, and has taken him a while to get up to speed. Still, he has been playing better football as of late, and there is a reason to believe he will finish strong, other than the contract.
Mooney has been averaging 1.04 yards per route run since week six. In the first five weeks, it was at 0.77. He had his best game in week nine.
What will help him is seeing Justin Fields back as well. Mooney was not healthy when Fields was, and they could not connect on a few big plays. Then, as Mooney got his speed back, the team had to shift to Tyson Bagent, which meant more close-range passing. Do not be surprised if Mooney and Fields connect down the field a few times, and Mooney finished the year strong.
4. Will Yannick Ngakoue improve his sack total in the final seven games?
The Yannick Ngakoue signing has not gone well. Some Chicago Bears fans were surprised that he was a free agent and surprised that he has only stuck with a team for one year at a time before moving on. After this year, most fans realize why and will accept when Ngakoue is a free agent in July next year and is not coming back to Chicago.
He has not been as good as advertised. What stings is that he has always had questions against the run, but this yea, he is even worse than ever as a pass rusher. Below you can see his pass rush win rate and his pass rush production scores by year. He is worse than ever.
Year | PRP | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|
2023 | 4.6 | 4.6% |
2022 | 6.9 | 7.1% |
2021 | 6.6 | 10.7% |
2020 | 5.6 | 9.7% |
2019 | 6.5 | 9.9% |
Some of this has to do with his play dropping; some of it is because he is at his best rushing across from a talented rusher, but in Chicago, it was just him. Now, with Montez Sweat, Ngakoue has a chance to luck into some money.
Things will be easier for Ngakoue, and after a poor season, he can still turn it on for the final seven games, collect a couple of sacks, and have enough on the resume to earn a contract next year.
The question the Chicago Bears have to watch for is whether Ngakoue is earning these sacks or if they are falling into his lap. He has been known to take advantage of the easier sacks.
3. Can Justin Jones showcase for other teams in the Chicago Bears' last few games?
The Chicago Bears have an interesting decision to make with Justin Jones. He is a free agent this year, and considering the team drafted Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, they have to be thinking about moving on from him. With Andrew Billings already extended, the Bears really just have one spot to upgrade the room in the longer term, and that is Justin Jones.
However, the Bears clearly favor Jones over Dexter and Pickens. Considering the team is 3-7, and development should be key, it is notable that neither has been close to unseating Jones. This shows that the Bears do not see it is as close at all; if it was, they would start to lean towards the youth.
So, the Bears want their future to be Dexter and Pickens, but do they trust it? Can Justin Jones flash enough to get the attention of other teams, or will he finally start to lose playing time to the younger names? Jones has been fine this year, but his presence is not going to be missed if Dexter gets one more drive per game subbing for Jones. It will be an interesting scenario to watch.
2. The Chicago Bears will try to re-sign Jaylon Johnson
Of all of the Chicago Bears who will potentially hit free agency, the most likely player to return is Jaylon Johnson. The Bears wanted to see more from Johnson, who played like a high-end number two cornerback more than number one corner through his first three seasons.
Johnson got hurt in week three, and his contract year looked like a dud. However, since he returned, he has been stellar. Johnson had two interceptions, including a pick-six against the Raiders. He also was seen following Adam Thielen into the slot against the Panthers.
These were two of the things separating Johnson from being in that higher-end tier. Now, he is showing it. The Chicago Bears turned down some hefty offers for Johnson, and now their eyes are on him returning. For Johnson, he knows that the franchise tag is the ceiling, so why not force the teams hand? If the Bears get that level of play, they will not be mad paying the price tag.
1. Will the Chicago Bears ride D’onta Foreman until his wheels fall off?
The Chicago Bears will be an interesting spot in the next seven weeks. D’onta Foreman has handled the workload since Khalil Herbert was placed on the IR in week five. Herbert practiced before the Carolina Panthers game with the extended time off; he will certainly play this Sunday. So, what do the Bears do?
Herbert has been as good as Foreman, but Foreman gives that power punch they need. Should the team continue to ride Foreman? He would like that considering he is a free agent this year.
Foreman had 914 yards and has 367 this year. If he kept up his current pace over the final seven games, he could push for 800 yards. That is a strong two-year run, and it may open the chance for him to earn a decent deal on the marker this time around.
The Chicago Bears would be wise to feed him and let someone else deal with the long-term issues. They have Herbert and Johnson signed for next year, so while those two can mix in this season, they can also be preserved a bit for the longer term.