For some players, a season can bring challenges and setbacks. Despite this, a new season offers players new opportunities to redeem themselves and bounce back. Luckily for the Chicago Bears, there’s plenty of new talent that can help bring out the best in some players who may have struggled the previous season. Without further ado, here are three bounce-back candidates for the Chicago Bears.
Bounce-Back Candidates For The Chicago Bears
Nate Davis, Guard
During the 2023 offseason, the Bears signed Nate Davis to a three-year, $30 million contract to come in and start. Unfortunately for both sides, Davis had a great deal of setbacks. He struggled with mental health issues due to family problems, which affected his ability to train at NFL speed during the offseason. Additionally, he suffered an ankle injury during the season, causing him to miss four games. To add on, according to Pro Football Focus, Davis had a 52.9 overall grade last season and a career-low 95.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating. Despite all his struggles, the 2024 season presents opportunities for Davis to reset, allowing him an entire offseason to get into peak condition and avoid further setbacks. Given his dominant performance with the Tennessee Titans, Davis is expected to return to form with the Bears next year.
Demarcus Walker, Edge Rusher
Demarcus Walker was another underwhelming 2023 free-agent acquisition. After achieving career highs with the Titans, the Bears signed him to a three-year, $21 million deal. However, Walker did not meet expectations in his first season in Chicago, recording only 3.5 sacks and 30 total tackles. Walker was a rotational player, playing 66.57% of the defensive snaps. The silver lining for him is that there will be less competition with Yannick Ngakoue’s departure. If Walker can secure the starting role and increase his playing time, he has a solid chance to prove he is worth the substantial contract next season. If not, there might be some added competition for Walker next season.
Kevin Byard, Free Safety
Kevin Byard has been one of the best safeties for the past decade, shutting down opposing offenses with his ball-hawking ability. Unfortunately, after being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, he was misused. Last season with the Eagles, Byard recorded just one interception. He was often overwhelmed by being assigned to man coverage against faster receivers and tight ends, which didn’t match his strengths. In Byard’s case, the Eagles were a mess on defense last season due to the ineffectiveness of defensive play-calls from Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.
Things will be different with the Bears. In Chicago, he will join Jaquan Brisker in the backfield, which works out because they complement each other. Brisker is a tackling machine, while Byard thrives in intercepting passes. Due to this, Byard can return to being one of the top playmakers in the NFL because he’ll be allowed to play to his strengths. With an elite defense around him, Byard will not be burdened with guarding players alone. He can go back to doing what he does best: anticipating and intercepting plays.
Outlook For Bounce-Back Candidates
All three former Titans are in a unique position to showcase that their lackluster performance in 2023 was a fluke. They all deserve another shot, and there’s a lot of optimism that the three Bears will shine next season. All that’s left is to prove it on the field.
Main Image: Kamil Krzaczynski – USA Today Sports
