The Bears are heading into the bye week with a chance to reset, and there are a few spots on the roster where the second half could look different than the first. A handful of players have already been eased in, a few jobs still feel unsettled, and Chicago may use the break to make some decisions it has been kicking down the road.
One of the clearest possibilities is along the offensive line, where Ozzy Trapilo could be in line for a bigger role at left tackle. Trapilo tore his patellar tendon late last season, so simply being available at this point is notable.
Even so, the Bears have used him sparingly, giving him just 36 snaps this year. His workload picked up briefly with 17 snaps in Week 6 and 19 in Week 7, but he did not play in Weeks 8 and 9.
With Week 10 now in the rearview and the team on bye, the question is whether Chicago brings him back in Week 11 and gives him the job over Theo Benedet, who has been up and down, or whether the Bears decided in Week 7 that Trapilo is still farther away than they thought.
There is also a real possibility at center. Logan Jones got seven snaps in Week 6 as the Bears eased their rookie into action, and the expectation has been that he would eventually become a starter.
The only real debate was timing. Garrett Bradbury helped the team survive the first half of the season, and with quarterback changes in the mix, Chicago was able to keep the rookie from having to absorb all of that pressure at once.
Now, after seeing the field and getting a week to clear his head, this could be the right moment for the Bears to make the switch. If they don’t, Bradbury is likely to hold the job the rest of the way.
On defense, Malik Muhammad’s best fit appears to be on the outside, and the bye week could help settle that. The Bears’ fourth-round rookie has already logged 276 snaps, with 146 on the outside and 130 in the slot.
That is a heavy load for any rookie, especially one who did not play the slot in college. Kyler Gordon came back in Week 6, then Muhammad got hurt in Week 7, and he is expected to return after the bye.
When he does, the cleaner setup would be Muhammad opposite Jaylon Johnson on the outside, with Gordon working in the slot so Muhammad can settle in.
The Bears may also keep leaning on Turner in a flexible role. He was activated in Week 6 and has been brought along gradually, playing about 20% of the defensive snaps since returning.
His value is in the variety he brings: 30 snaps as an edge rusher and 22 snaps inside. That kind of versatility gives Chicago another useful piece to work with, and the team can keep using him for depth in multiple spots.
In Other News...
Dennis Allen Faces Three Big Bears Decisions During The Bye
The bye week has arrived with Dennis Allen carrying a familiar kind of midseason homework: sorting out a defense that has shown enough promise to justify a closer look, but not enough consistency to leave alone. For the Bears, the pause offers a chance to rethink some of the personnel and pressure packages that have defined the first stretch of the season, especially on the back end and off the edge.
One of the biggest questions is whether Malik Muhammad has done enough to claim a full-time starting role at outside cornerback over Tyrique Stevenson, a move that would signal a meaningful shift in how Allen wants to line up his secondary. There is also a case for getting Daniel Hardy on the field more often as a pass rusher, while the larger philosophical debate may be whether Allen is ready to lean harder into blitzing after spending much of his time in the league preferring a more measured approach. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Bye Week Could Quietly Fix A Few Trouble Spots
The bye week comes at a good time for a Bears roster that has been dealing with a few nagging issues and a few moving parts. Garrett Bradbury gets a chance to reset physically, while the extra time also gives Chicago a window to get healthier and sort through some of the depth-chart churn that has been forced on the lineup.
Kyle Monangai is expected back from injured reserve, Ozzy Trapilo may be ready to rejoin the lineup, and Malik Muhammad could be on track to return from injury as well. Sam Roush, meanwhile, can use the break to settle in after seeing more playing time than expected, which makes this stretch feel less like dead time and more like a quiet chance to clean up a few trouble spots before the next run of games. [Read more 🡒]
Bears May Have Found A Trade Bonus They Barely Can Use
The Bears trade for Clark Phillips III looked like a savvy little add-on when they sent Gervon Dexter Sr. to Atlanta for a fifth-round pick and the young cornerback. Phillips has flashed enough in limited snaps to make the move feel worthwhile, especially with his ability to hold up in coverage and contribute in pass-rush situations. For a defense that always values depth in the secondary, he has at least given Chicago something to think about.
The catch is that the Bears may not have an easy path to using him much more than they already have. Jaylon Johnson has been trending in the right direction, and Malik Muhammad is back from injury, which tightens the rotation at corner just as Phillips was starting to make a case for more work. It leaves Chicago in a familiar spot with a useful player who may simply be stuck behind healthier, more established options. [Read more 🡒]