The Chicago Bears had lots of fun on Sunday, crushing the Carolina Panthers 36-10. Caleb Williams threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Roschon Johnson rushed for two touchdowns. Austin Booker had a sack. Gervon Dexter had a sack and four QB hits. It was pure domination. In the waning minutes of the 4th quarter, head coach Matt Eberflus felt comfortable enough to pull his defense off the field and put in the backups. Fittingly, they ended things with Booker’s sack on quarterback Bryce Young.
Ulbrich grateful for outgoing Saleh's influence and support
However, Eberflus quietly made an important roster move amidst the good times. Nobody noticed at the time, but rookie 3rd round pick Kiran Amegadjie got onto the field for the first time. He logged nine snaps in total. Five were on field goal and extra point blocking duty. Three were the final Tyson Bagent kneel-downs. He also got to block on a Johnson run play that went for three yards. While not much, it was a vital step in Amegadjie’s developmental process.
Matt Eberflus continues to show he has common sense.
It would’ve been common to just leave the rookies to their own devices. He has bigger fish to fry as the head coach. Eberflus doesn’t think that way. Nothing teaches a young player more about the NFL than live reps. However, rather than force-feeding them by throwing them into the deep water, the Bears have given guys like Booker and Amegadjie occasional reps to help them acclimate to this level’s speed and intensity. It is especially important for the latter because he comes from the Ivy League, where the level of competition was much lower.
The fact that Amegadjie was suited up and on the field is exciting news for the Bears. It means he’s healthy and practiced well enough to earn the opportunities. Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles have high hopes for him. His size, power, and athleticism are a rare combination. The key was always whether he could learn the intricate hand techniques and footwork to handle NFL pass rushers. This was the next step in that process. Don’t be surprised to see the Bears continue this approach.
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