Which Bears Players Are Going to Be in the Hot Seat This Season?
With the NFL season kicking off this Thursday, the Chicago Bears may debatably be the most anticipated team to watch this year. With the Bears going 4-0 in preseason, there are going to be high expectations for The Monsters of the Midway this season. The Bears suit up to take on the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field at noon CDT. With less than a week until kickoff for Chicago, fans may be wondering which players are under the most pressure to perform this season for the Bears.
Caleb Williams
It comes without a shock that Chicago’s new franchise quarterback Caleb Williams may be under the most pressure to play at the highest level this year. He was drafted number one overall and that comes with a lot of anticipation and a lot of hype to go along with it. Williams was the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner after throwing for 4,075 yards with a national co-leading 37 touchdown passes while rushing for another 10 touchdowns. During the Bears’ 4-0 record in the preseason, Caleb Williams along with the first unit offense played a total of seven preseason possessions. In his preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills, Williams completed four of seven passes for 95 yards with a 101.8 passer rating and had one rush for 13 yards. Against the Bengals, Williams completed six of 13 passes for 75 yards and a 64.6 passer rating while playing the entire first half. The NFL may need to keep its eyes on Caleb Williams as he intends to show the world what the hype around him is all about.
D.J. Moore
In late July, wide receiver D.J. Moore signed a four-year contract extension with the Chicago Bears. General Manager Ryan Poles has this to say about D.J. Moore, “We all know he’s an impact player and a difference-maker for our offense, but his leadership and professionalism make him a cornerstone for our franchise.” Last year with the Bears, Moore established career highs in all receiving categories with 96 receptions, 1,364 yards, and eight touchdowns. He also caught a career-high 70.6% of his targets. He ended up ranking sixth in the NFL among receivers in yards and ranked 13th in receptions. D.J. Moore is going to be a key piece for the Bears success this year and he’s already been establishing a great connection with Caleb Williams.
Rome Odunze
After the Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the number one overall pick, Chicago felt like they needed another solid wide receiver to complement Williams well. They ended up selecting Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick. During the Bears preseason game against the Bengals, Caleb Williams completed a 45-yard out-of-the-pocket pass to Rome Odunze that shocked the entire NFL. That pass gave the whole world a glimpse into what we can see from the new quarterback-receiver duo this year. In his 2023 season at Washington, Odunze played in all 15 games, including two playoff games, and recorded 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 10 of those games, he recorded over 100 receiving yards on the season, while leading the NCAA and Pac-12 in receptions. Rome Odunze feels like he’s at home in Chicago and Bears fans can’t wait to see him suit up for the season.
