Chicago Bears fans may want to prepare for this Pro-Bowler to take a step back

The NFL stands for Not For Long because it is so hard to maintain success in a league that is always moving. That is why the greats get praise for consistency more than peak seasons. The Chicago Bears have a few players who had their best season and may be due to regress back to the mean.

Who are regression candidates on the Chicago Bears?

Pro Football Network listed out a regression candidate for every team and mentioned D.J. Moore. This is a rather easy call because Moore had a career year, but now there are two big names added to him. Will he get as many targets? 

However, we have argued that the targets will be more in volume overall because the quarterback and the other receivers will also open space for Moore to be more efficient. He may not regress as much as it appears. So, if that is the case, who is the true regression candidate on the Bears?

The first thought is Montez Sweat. He only had half in Chicago, but his 12.5 sacks is not only a career mark it is 3.5 more than his past career-high. Sweat had more motivating factors, and things broke right for him last year. Can he keep that up with a defensive line that did not improve as much as other positions?

The other easy call is Jaylon Johnson. Jaylon Johnson went from a player that most would agree is a low-end number one cornerback or a high-end number two. In 2023, he was an All-Pro and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Johnson went from one interception in three seasons to four last year, including a pick-six. The reality is that Johnson could still have a strong year, he could be a top ten cornerback, and that would be a regression type of year. This does not even add in that the life of a cornerback is tough and so dependent on the quarterbacks you play and when you get chnaces to make plays. That is why top cornerbacks can change so quickly.

Moore is a good call, and Sweat gets honorable mention, but Johnson is least likely to build off of his 2023, and most likely to regress.