Not All Bears Are Rising

A few Bears are either declining due to injuries or because of roster situations and in Trevis Gipson's case he has been beaten out for starting left defensive end.

The message delivered by Bears coaches and regurgitated constantly by players for media has been nothing but positive as they move forth into the new era Sunday against the 49ers.

Not everyone has been rising at the same rate, or even rising at all as all the good vibes have floated about.

This is especially the case with edge player Trevis Gipson.

A starter last year from the day Khalil Mack went out for the season with a foot injury, Gipson produced seven sacks in a little over half a season and this preseason started at left defensive end all three games.

With the opener approaching, Gipson has been moved down the Bears depth chart by coaches with former Colts defensive end Al-Quadin Muahmmad replacing him among starters.

Muhammad had only eight starts in his first four seasons with Indianapolis until starting every game in 2021 and making six sacks under coordinator Matt Eberflus, his new Bears coach.

Defensive coordinator Alan Williams calls the defensive line a situation where all are needed starting only means who lines up there at the beginning of games.

"We work our D-line as a NASCAR group and so if you're a NASCAR fan, which my wife is—in our family she's the NASCAR fan—you know that it's constantly in and out, it's in and out, or a hockey line where guys go in and then they come out and the next group goes in," Williams said. "So we'll have a lot of D-linemen up and we'll be ready to go.

"Everyone should be participating, everyone should be contributing to the ballgame."

Because it's early season, the need to keep players fresh is vital. Warmer weather can wear them out faster, although forecasts for this game is one of the worst for a Bears opener in recent memory—rain most of the day, cooler temperatures and wind.

"We told guys this is going to be the hardest thing that you're ever going to do from a sports standpoint, so we've been preparing for this since Day 1," Williams said. "What we do is we run all day long and so our guys are prepared to get out there and go, to exhaust everything they have, to put it out there on the field and then they'll get a blow and the next group will come in, and then they'll do the same thing and the next group will come in after that. So no different."

Gipson has occasionally lined up in practices during late training camp and preseason as an interior rusher in pass situations. Williams said others, namely Dominique Robinson, could also do this.

"I would say all of them do, and all of them have the capability to kick inside, and we practice that," Williams said. "Not one particular guy. They all do, to get speed on the field and to get after the quarterback."

It should surprise no one because this is the Tampa-2 defensive look and this was how Lovie Smith's defensive fronts played it in the same type of Bears scheme. When Rod Marinelli was a Bears defensive assistant, he called them all rush men, not tackles or ends. 

"You want your best pass rushers on the field, and you want to get speed," Williams said. "It seems like every quarterback in the league now has some sort of escapability. They may not be as fast as others, but they can run. 

"So you do want speed on the field to affect the quarterback."

Still,  regarding the issue of starting, there is some pride involved for players. It can be tougher on players specially who had been starters. 

Handling such situations is easier with a winning team or at the beginning of seasons. It's not quite as easy in a losing year or later in the year.

Here are players who are trending up and down with the Bears heading into the opener.

DOWN ARROW

WR Trevis Gipson

Based on preseason games, Gipson didn't do a great deal. He had two tackles, both on running plays, and one for loss. Muhammad, meanwhile, made four tackles including a sack. Coaches often say decisions are made largely off practices and not the preseason games. Still, those games count. And in those Gipson had 18 fewer play reps than Muhammad did (83-65), so it wasn't a case where one player was on the field more often and was able to take advantage by making more plays.

WR Velus Jones Jr.

The Bears saw only a few fleeting glimpses of blazing speed on two returns and then Jones was out again with a hamstring issue after missing some time earlier for an unspecified injury. Jones hasn't practiced this week and appears unlikely to be available for Week 1, or will, at best, be limited in his contribution. The idea was to have a bigger, faster receiver corps, one that could block and also have bigger plays. They're fairly ordinary for speed without Jones on the field, and he's also a bigger player. The threat of what he can do will be missed, although it can

G Teven Jenkins

It's nothing Jenkins has done wrong necessarily. It's just Lucas Patrick's availability now that makes Jenkins' first start at guard seem unlikely. The goal is the best five offensive linemen on the field and until Patrick can snap the football without an issue, his best use is at guard. That would leave Jenkins out of the mix for a while, at least.

DE Dominique Robinson

The rookie fifth-rounder practiced only on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday and his situation has potential long-term ramifications because it's a knee. They need to be more careful with this than with, soft tissue injuries. If he's deemed healthy to play, then he will but don't expect much PT for him in week 1.

UP ARROW

C Sam Mustipher

If anyone went from rags to riches because of injuries and also their own play, it's Mustipher. He originally seemed like a player the coaches didn't want because they moved him to guard, where he hadn't played in the past. They had Lucas Patrick and rookie Doug Kramer at center. Then both of those players got hurt, Mustipher stepped in, the offensive line didn't suffer and even improved.

"I think the coolest part about Sam is what he brings to the table, and let's just take away the football part of it, like just the mindset that he brings to work every single day, the work ethic that he brings, the example, the leadership that he brings every day," offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. "And then you match that with he's a high football IQ guy.

"I think all of that stuff is like, it's so beneficial for us and then guys can lean on him. When you put someone at center in that position who has kind of taken control and in command I think all that stuff is just laid out for everybody to see and the guys kind of rally behind it. So yeah, we're real lucky to have Sam."

CB Kyler Gordon

Held back by an injury earlier in camp, he started to gain momentum by the Seattle game. Now Gordon is impressing and really needs to be doing it, because the alternative at slot cornerback after him is either Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Jones or Lamar Jackson. Blackwell is a rookie who has been with the team a week. They could also turn to safety DeAndre Houston-Carson in that case, as he has been an emergency nickel or a dime defensive contributor as the third safety in the past.

S Jaquan Brisker

When Roquan Smith is excited to see you play, you know you're on the rise. The series against Kansas City before Brisker injured his thumb earned him a great deal of respect. He's been able to practice with the hand protected. At least for a while his tackling might not be up to his expected standards without full use of his hand.

LB Roquan Smith

There is no concern by coaches that Smith might not be football ready after missing all the preseason games and a month of camp. There is no concern he is stepping into a defense he hasn't played in during a live game. His speed and leadership have been impressive to them in practices. 

Smith seems to own the locker room now, where once he was just a younger player in a veteran locker room. Expect him to be doing the locker room speeches for the defense.

"I just feel like a lot of guys revert to me and look to me as that guy, speaking up like that," Smith said. "So, I just really give them what I feel and how I'm feeling. When you're coming from the heart, that's what matters the most."

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