Week 1 always brings a little chaos, and the Bears are stepping into it with a weapon that could swing field position fast: their return game.
Chicago’s opener on the road against the Carolina Panthers will draw the biggest spotlight on Caleb Williams, the offense, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit. But special teams could end up mattering just as much, especially with veteran Kalif Raymond and rookie Zavion Thomas giving Richard Hightower real juice in the third phase.
Hightower said Thursday he feels good about the returners general manager Ryan Poles brought in, and the numbers back up why the Bears are intrigued. Raymond has 188 career punt return attempts for 1,948 yards and three touchdowns, along with 62 kick returns for 1,338 yards. Thomas flashed his ability in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, ripping off a 39-yard punt return late in the second quarter.
For Hightower, the formula is pretty straightforward: the Bears need clean execution up front, and Raymond and Thomas need to protect the football. If that happens, Chicago has a chance to stress a Carolina unit that allowed the eighth-most punt return yards in the NFL last season, giving up 313.
The Bears weren’t exactly a punt return juggernaut themselves a year ago, finishing 19th with 231 total punt return yards. That’s why the addition of two return men with real explosiveness matters. A single burst can flip the field in a hurry.
The kick return picture looks a little tougher. Carolina surrendered 1,333 yards there last season, which ranked 27th-fewest in the league. Even so, Chicago finished 11th with 1,792 kick return yards, and Raymond and Thomas could still be the ones who create the kind of hidden yardage that changes a game at Bank of America Stadium.
Asked what he wants from his group to start fast, Hightower pointed to poise, physicality, speed, and aggression. If the Bears bring that consistently in the third phase, Williams and the offense should get better starting positions all afternoon.
And with Raymond and Thomas, it doesn’t take much for a return to turn into something bigger. That’s the kind of edge Chicago will be looking for in Week 1.
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