Last Laughs for Duke Shelley, Khyiris Tonga

When the Bears are not in postseason play like this year, it usually is a case of their fans rooting for whatever team plays the Packers.

They don't even get to do that this year.

However, there are enough former Bears playing in the next two days to give Chicago fans some sort of rooting interest as the postseason begins.

Some of these are players from a few years past. Others, like Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, were traded or cut when the Bears started work in free agency last spring.

Then there are Minnesota Vikings Duke Shelley and Khyiris Tonga, who were with the Bears in training camp this season but got cut by Matt Eberflus and staff.

Shelley was actually cut the day after final roster cutdowns when the Bears picked up a group of players who'd been cut elsewhere, including defensive back Josh Blackwell.

Blackwell went on to become a vital special teams player and backup slot cornerback. Shelley got revenge of sorts by making his first career interception Sunday against the Bears in the regular season finale, the 29-13 Vikings win. Then he spiked the ball in the middle of the field on the Bears logo before later tweeting out his satisfaction about the takeaway.

The interception came against Tim Boyle, the fourth Bears quarterback. He either overthrew Chase Claypool or Claypool didn't run the right route, but Shelley benefited from it.

First INT of my career vs the team that didn’t believe in me wow thank you god
— Duke Shelley (@DukeSaysGo) January 8, 2023

"They had to feel how disrespected I felt when they cut me," Shelley tweeted.

Shelley's play hasn't been confined to intercepting the backup to the backup's backup in meaningless games.

He actually took away the starting job Cameron Dantzler had playing cornerback on the outside. Bears fans will remember Dantzler as the cornerback who stole the football from behind Ihmir Smith-Marsette with the Bears at the Vikings 39 while driving for a possible tying score.

It's a departure from when Shelley played slot cornerback for the Bears. He had taken over slot starter after Buster Skrine had an injury, and then played a big role in helping the Bears make the playoffs in 2020. He remained at that position all last year, but struggled there.

Shelley has played in 11 games with five starts. He didn't allow a TD and had 10 pass breakups, the fourth most in the NFL even though he was six short of playing a full season after starting off on Minnesota's practice squad. He had just four pass breakups in three seasons with the Bears, so it might not have been a case of the Bears "disrespecting" him as much as it was him stepping up his play and fitting in better on the outside even though he is only 5-foot-8.

Either way, the Bears definitely could have used him when they were losing their entire secondary to injuries at season's end.

The other Viking from Chicago was cut the same day as Shelley. Khyiris Tonga didn't go to the Vikings right away. First, he went to the practice squad in Atlanta, the team employing former Bears GM Ryan Pace.

The Viking plucked him off the Falcons practice squad and so he had to go right onto the active roster.

Tonga has been in 11 games and started the last two. He hs half a sack, 28 tackles, one for loss and two QB hits. He also has done what the Bears said he would do when they drafted him in the seventh round and that's deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. He has four of them.

The Vikings-Giants game Sunday is at 3:30 p.m. on Fox.

Here are other former Bears of note playing roles for teams in the playoffs.

Saturday

Seahawks at 49ers, 3:30 p.m. Fox

Tashaun Gipson insisted he wasn't done the week of his final game last year and he was right. In fact, he's still a starter and played all 17 games at safety for the 49ers. He has five interceptions, one more than in both seasons with the Bears put together. It's the most he's had since his third year in Cleveland in 2014, when he had six.

Gipson is sixth on the 49ers in tackles with 61. He also has eight passes defended. In the way-back, Robbie Gould is still the 49ers kicker and is almost at the NFL average even at age 40. Gould, who will be a free agent after this season, is just below the NFL average for this year at 84.4% (27 of 32). NFL average is 84.8%. He's 50 of 51 on extra points.

In 7 years as #49ers safeties, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt had 8 total INTs.

Tashaun Gipson Jr. & Talanoa Hufanga had 9 INTs this season.

Not meant to knock Ward and Tartt, just goes to show how this year's defense is different from the others.
— Rob “Stats” Guerrera (@StatsOnFire) January 9, 2023

Chargers at Jaguars, 7:15 p.m., NBC

Two former Bears start on the defensive lines for each team. Mack has just eight sacks this year but has been playing without Joey Bosa on the other side. Bosa recently returned from injured reserve and it will give the Chargers their 1-2 edge rush punch back. Mack hasn't had a double-digit sack season since 2018, although he was well on his way to one in 2021 when he suffered a season-ending foot injury and went on IR after the seventh game. Mack still made the Pro Bowl team again this year. Mack has 50 tackles, 12 for loss, and 12 QB hits.

On the Jaguars' side is starting defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris, who left the Bears in free agency before the 2021 season. He has started every game, has three sacks, 45 tackles, four pass deflections, seven tackles for loss and 12 QB hits.

Haven’t said much to the media this year stayin low key but I think y’all need to give some props to Staley! Obviously we just only made the playoffs I get that still got a long ways to go but y’all was hate hate hate and he kept us together injuries and all stayed the course!
— Kyle Van Noy (@KVN_03) December 27, 2022

Sunday

Ravens at Bengals 7:15 p.m., NBC

Roquan Smith might still be hauling around a wheelbarrow full of cash after his five-year, $100 million contract. He made 86 tackles, including seven for loss, with three pass deflections and an interception in his nine Ravens games. This came after eight games with 83 tackles, including four for loss, and two interceptions for the Bears. He has two sacks with Baltimore and had 2 1/2 for the Bears. One other former Bears player of note in this is Smith's teammate, backup defensive lineman Brent Urban. He was on the Bears in 2020 when they were last in the playoffs. He has 21 tackles, a sack and continues his specialty of three pass deflections.

Something I randomly think about is how one day Brent and I will tell our kids that dad played in the nfl and they won’t believe us Hahhaha
— Kate Urban (@Kate_KanSkate) April 23, 2021

Monday

Cowboys at Buccaneers, 7:15 p.m., ESPN

Hicks has been in 11 games, missing six with a foot injury. He has three pass deflections, a sack and 22 tackles. The Buccaneers have a losing record (8-9) but they have a winning record (7-4) when Hicks starts. Another Bears player for a brief time is with Tampa Bay, wide receiver Breshad Perriman. He has nine receptions and a TD.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven