Is trusting Cody Whitehair smart for Chicago Bears?

The Chicago Bears added Nate Davis to the offensive line room, but somehow fans now have more questions. The thought entering the offseason was that Teven Jenkins was a starter at right guard, and most of the other positions were up for debate.

Are Chicago Bears trusting Cody Whitehair too much?

However, when they signed Nate Davis, things changed because Davis has played right guard throughout his career. Davis said that he will line up wherever he is asked, and Ryan Poles spoke about Davis when he met with the press as well.

When asked about Davis, Ryan Poles pivoted, saying that Cody Whitehair may be in play to start at center. This does make sense because it opens the idea that Nate Davis will move to the left side. At the same time, it does bring up a question about Whitehair and his role.

Most fans thought that Whitehair would be cut, if not by now, then soon. Ryan Poles is saying that is not the case. The issue is not as much about moving him from left guard to center.

Whitehair has 3,904 snaps at center, and 2,827 snaps at left guard. While he has not played center since 2020, and was not a full-time starter there since 2018, it is not the most shocking transition.

What will be interesting is how well he ages, and whether he can stay healthy. The big issue with Whitehair is that he had been a staple of healthy, but ended up missing time in 2020, one of the worst years he had on the field. He tried to play through a lower-body injury and it affected his play.

Whitehair came back in 2021 but did not get back to the same level of player he was in 2020. Then, in 2022, another injury came and ended his season early.

So, for Ryan Poles, the question is much less about how good Whitehair can be in the center role, but more about whether he trusts he can get 17 games of the old style of player Whitehair was.

Whitehair will be 31 this season, and in two of the last three years, he was banged up. He was a beacon of durability in his younger days and may be paying the price. Speaking of price, the Bears could save nearly $10M by designating him a post-June 1 release.

The team needs a center, but that is essentially what Nate Davis is making this year. Do we expect Whitehair to perform up to that level? Had the Bears cut Whitehair, would they have been better served to throw an extra three million at McGlinchey, and try Lucas Patrick or someone else at center?

It is fair to say that Whitehair can and has handled center duties, but with his cost, his injuries, and his drop in play due to age, there are more questions than just his position versatility.