Every NFL season is a proving ground.
It's probably safe to say the Bears, as a team, have more to prove than most because of where they are situated in the rebuilding project they began in 2022 under GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus but also because of where they are in their division.
They are in one of the NFL's tougher divisions and expected to rise. Teams expected to rise in weak divisions face much less pressure simply because their task is easier.
Doing it as a team with a rookie quarterback is difficult unto itself, and the rookie quarterback also has much to prove.
However, Caleb Williams has less to prove in one sense because no one is dumping him if there are problems during his rookie year. As the draft's No. 1 pick, he'll reap a benefit of the doubt.
The coach and staff are more expendable than a rookie quarterback at this point.
Other players have much more to prove. Their place in the starting lineup, on the team or even in the league could be at stake.
Two weeks out from the start of Bears practice, here are the players with the most to prove in this Bears season.
10. DE DeMarcus Walker
The 22 pressures Sportradar says he provided as an edge last year has been underrated. There's a reason it's been so underrated. He made only 3 1/2 sacks. When you get pressure with no sacks off the edge, few people notice. They badly need him to finish some of those rushes to remove blocking pressure from Montez Sweat.
9. DT Gervon Dexter
Much is expected of Dexter as the starting 3-technique and a second-round draft pick. He's only in Year 2, so the pressure isn't amped up as much at this point. But with Zacch Pickens pushing him and the pressure generated from the team needing this position to be successful within the scheme, it's a good time for him to step it up against both the run and the pass after he displayed pass rush ability last season.
8. C Coleman Shelton
When they paid him for one year and they've gone out of the way to bring in another possible starting center who is paid more, the pressure will be on from the start at training camp to show he's the player who deserves to start. Ryan Bates was acquired in a trade possessing a contract for another full year so it even stacks the odds more against Shelton, who really needs to win that starting spot in camp.
7. DE Dominique Robinson
At stake for Robinson is only his career. In two seasons, he has played 792 defensive snaps and made two sacks, 12 pressures and 42 tackles. If this fifth-round former college wide receiver is to prove Poles didn't waste a draft pick on an unorthodox selection, this would be a good time to do it. They brought in Austin Booker during the fifth round this year and everyone is raving about what they've seen from him. Then again, Robinson has set a low bar, so anything Booker contribute might seem remarkable. The Bears need edge rush help now and it's time for Robinson to deliver. The fact he ranks so low is an indication of the chances for this.
6. RB Khalil Herbert
It will be a short path to being third running back for their fourth-year player if he has an another injury or steps back in his quality of play. To be sure, they've never had cause for being disappointed in his play as a ball carrier out of the backfield. Only his health and passing game contributions have been the issues. Roschon Johnson wouldn't be the speed threat but can do anything else in the backfield if Herbert falters in the final year of his contract. What Herbert has at stake would appear to be personal and not Bears related. It would seem unlikely at this point they would retain him with a contract offer next year anyway. So he's showing what he has to he rest of the league.
5. S Kevin Byard
There are skeptics like CBS Sports, which labeled his signing among the worst this offseason. There are those who see value, like Pro Football Focus which rates him 12th best safety in the league. The Philadelphia Eagles quickly discarded him, which doesn't look good. Then again, the Eagles didn't go through Eddie Jackson and a third passer rating against of 110.1 or higher in four seasons. Byard does have much to prove, though. As a 31-year-old safety, there is always the age factor. The Bears need a steadying influence in back but he must prove he's still willing at his age to stick his nose into the scrum and shut down a run as much as deliver the hit to a tight end in the open field. He's signed for two years but the second year cap figure includes only $1.5 million guaranteed. They'd have a $7 million savings by parting ways with him after this season. That looks an awful lot like a one-year deal covered with a second-year cloak.
4. WR Velus Jones Jr.
He's no punt returner. This has been established. In two seasons, he's had only 21 targets and 11 receptions. Despite being a receiver, he's been a better running back with 17 rushes for 154 yards, a 9.1-yard average on mostly end-around plays mixed with a few carries from deep as a tailback. No one can doubt his kick return skills because it's there where he has stood out, getting into the top seven twice while establishing a 27.4-yard return average. But the mistakes seem to flow, from he muffed punts to falling in the end zone when he's wide open while trying to catch a ball, to silly penalties on special teams. He's the fastest Bears player in the 40 by far at 4.31 seconds, but what good is it if he makes so many mistakes? Bringing in De'Andre Carter to the roster can mean even more pressure on Jones, although Carter is far better as a punt returner than as a kick returner.
3. T Braxton Jones
Jones was touted last year as a breakout NFC offensive line candidate for 2023 and improved as a pass blocker, although his run blocking was graded down from the previous year. Now, they need his best because the quarterback is no longer a player who will clean up offensive line mistakes by running 50 yards for a touchdown. Caleb Williams is mobile, and it helps, but in a different way than Justin Fields was. Jones really needs to deliver because the replacement is the rookie with 36-inch-plus arms they drafted from Yale in Round 3, Kiran Amegadjie.
2. S Jaquan Brisker
Brisker's potential has been great and he has made great plays, delivered leadership while tackling the tough task of playing much of the time in the box at safety. He also has posted passer ratings against of 98.6 as a rookie and last year 110.6 while allowing four and six TD passes. Brisker must stop making the big mistake to be considered a viable part of the team's future. Safety is usually a position easily addressed in drafts and they've even upgraded depth this year with Jonathan Owens.
1. G Nate Davis
His strength never was pass blocking. They signed Davis because of their reliance on the wide zone blocking scheme, and now it appears they're de-emphasizing wide zone in favor of a more varied approach. On top of this, he comes off a first Bears season when he missed six games for injury and personal reasons. In all, Davis has missed 14 games the last three NFL seasons. There's someone else capable of playing the position in Bates, so they wouldn't need to move Teven Jenkins again. Also, his contract is such that the Bears could realize an overall cap savings of $7.5 million if he's cut in 2025. It hasn't helped that he barely participated in offseason work. Time to deliver.
