Why the Chicago Bears have to trust Nate Davis in 2024

The Chicago Bears will be looking to make multiple upgrades on their roster this offseason. While a lot of fans will be looking at the team to try to replace Nate Davis in free agency or the NFL draft, there is a much better chance that any offensive guard they bring in will be a backup and a depth option. The Chicago Bears have to trust Nate Davis as their starter in 2024. 

Why the Chicago Bears have to trust Nate Davis in 2024

First off, they are financially tied to making it work next year. Nate Davis will be on the salary cap for $11.294M with a dead cap hit of $11M. That means that even if they cut Davis this offseason, they are going to have $11M dedicated to him on the salary cap. If you are familiar with the poker term, they are pot-committed. They cannot spend any more on the position, given how much they have already invested. Their best bet may be to draft someone in the middle to late rounds and hope that he can sit a year before supplanting Davis in 2025. 

However, beyond the fact that the Bears have to stick with Davis, there is reason to think he can play well in 2024. He started the year off on the rockiest of footing due to a family issue. He missed almost the entire off-season program and looked lost in week one. Then, he missed two games to deal with his personal issue. 

When he came back, his first game back looked rusty, but the next game was the Chicago Bears' breakout performance against Washington. They could not keep that momentum because Davis suffered an ankle injury.  

He came back in week 11, and the Bears blew a lead to the Lions. He looked rusty. Still, in the six games he played after that, they went 4-2 with him in the lineup, and the line looked better than ever. 

A full offseason, full health, no personal issues, and the momentum from last year says that there is still a chance that Davis makes that $11M look like a decent deal.