The Bears Who Face Critcal 2024 Seasons

Analysis: With free agency fairly settled, the landscape in the NFL has changed and now these Bears face critical seasons.

The free agency frenzy, trade of Justin Fields and trade for Keenan Allen have subsided.

The landscape has changed for the Bears as a team. Certain individuals face uncertainty or challenges already in place before the first phase of talent acquisition.

Others have been impacted for 2024 by what already transpired.

Here are the Bears facing critical seasons ranked in order. It's also possible some of this can change with the draft. In some cases, it will become an ever more difficult challenge.

8. CB Tyrique Stevenson

Their second-year cornerback closed with a fury, so what's he doing on this list?
He made all four interceptions and 11 of his 16 pass breakups in the last seven games, so everything is looking up. His difficult situation is best described as a challenge to maintain his improvement from the last seven games he played. Jaylon Johnson just signed a contract extension and is cemented as the other starting cornerback. Behind Stevenson is Terell Smith, who had a stronger season than most rookie fifth-round cornerbacks enjoy. Coaches love his ability to take what is taught and apply it when opportunity arises.

Stevenson's 93.7 passer rating against, after he'd been putting up numbers around 110 or higher early, testifies to how far he came. Yet, he is caught in a spot where he can't afford to take his foot off the gas pedal or his starting job could go away.

7. DE Dominique Robinson

If Robinson produced pressures and some sacks this year in a legitimate role within the pass rush, everyone could smile and say maybe he'll be able to stick around another year. So far he has shown only that Ryan Poles isn't above taking a failed draft gamble. The fifth-round pick, who was a wide receiver through much of his college career and now is playing defensive end, seems out of his element. The Bears could really use the additional pressure from someone and he could make a huge impact if he supplied it.

With his future seemingly in doubt, the seventh ranking might look a bit low. It's accurate because it's well beyond the point where anyone could expect he'll resurrect his career. It's almost a foregone conclusion this pick didn't pan out for Poles.

6. WR Velus Jones Jr.

Much like with Robinson, Jones already is so far into it without producing a return that there's almost no point expecting something to change.

Making 11 catches in 21 targets at only 9.1 yards a catch says nothing for his abiilty as a receiver. He's alrready 27 years old when the season starts, too.

5. S Jaquan Brisker

Brisker views himself as a leader and has organized some offseason work in California for the Bears secondary, according to coach Matt Ebeflus at the owners meetings. As he enters Year 3 without veteran Eddie Jackson around to keep the back end organized, Brisker needs to advance. He had to make 209 tackles in his first two seasons and that's tough. But it's going to take more than leadership from him to retain a role as a major contributor. He went from an acceptable 98.6 passer rating against when targeted as a rookie to 110.6 last season by allowing six touchdown catches. In the meantime, his completion percentage allowed rost from 56.3 to 61.7%.

It's a long-held notion that players improve with more time played. As former coach Lovie Smith used to say, the biggest jump comes from Year 1 to Year 2 with a player. Smith also maintained the biggest jump in a season with teams comes from Week 1 to Week 2. If Year 2 was supposed to be a jump for Brisker, Year 3 is going to need to be an even bigger jump to make up for the way Year 2 went. And to top it off, he has a little competition with better safety depth now thanks to the signings of Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore.

4. RB Khalil Herbert

It's a contract year, but the signing of D'Andre Swift and with Roschon Johnson only in Year 2, it looks like it will take something spectacular for Herbert to convince the team to bring him back for next year. Swift's presence means Herbert will probably need to do it as a backup running back, even though he has been at 4.9 yards a carry in his first three seasons. The best way Herbert gives himself a chance is with better health after five missed games in 2023 and four in 2022. He was supposed to be the starter last year and started only nine games.

3. DT Gervon Dexter Jr.

They've apparently convinced themselves the second-year defensive tackle is ready to step into a starting role and do everything Justin Jones could do and more. Jones wasn't an ideal player for the role but did put up better numbers overall last year after he got used to playing the 3-technique. Dexter came on as an interior rush man but Pro Football Focus considered him more of a ditch to step over than an obstacle in the running game. He was graded near the bottom of the league stopping the run. Dexter has another second-year defensive tackle pushing him in Zacch Pickens, but the ball is in his hands, so to speak. He can prove himself now and have the role going forward.

If he can't make sufficient strides this year? Well, Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is slated for free agency next year and still in his early 30s. He was an ideal fit for this defensive scheme when Matt Eberflus had him at the 3-technique in 2020 and 2021 in Indianapolis. Dexter is one of those Bears who could still get competition from this draft.

2. Teven Jenkins

There is every reason to expect Jenkins to assume a dominant role this year at left guard as a starter with NFL experience during his contract year. There is also reason to believe it all winds up going down the draing with another stint on injured reserve.

Missing 29 out of 51 possible starts in his first three years says the risk is always health with a player who displays the characteristics of a Pro Bowl player. They have guard depth now with Ryan Bates and a few other free agents added to compete with returning third-year guard J'Tyre Carter. Jenkins can't afford slip-ups.

1. Nate Davis

Injuries, personal issues and overall uninspiring play made the Bears' $30 million free agent acqusition look like questionable money spent. The competition from Ryan Bates, who played most of his career so far at right guard, will be real from the start.

Davis is protected by his contract from being cut, to a large extent. However, the Bears can realize a good net savings if they found someone who would take him on a trade both before and after June 1, according to Overthecap.com. Either way, he becomes an easy cut for cap savings after this season if 2024 doesn't work out.

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