The Bears’ defensive makeover has already taken a hit, and the timing could not be much worse.
Chicago spent the offseason trying to reshape a unit that was already the weaker side of the ball, but training camp has only made the picture murkier. Coby Bryant’s injury disrupted the plan in the secondary, and Kyler Gordon’s health remains a concern in the Windy City. That leaves the Bears staring at a potential problem they may not be able to ignore for long: Tucker Kraft.
The Packers tight end is the kind of player who can punish a defense that isn’t settled. If Chicago doesn’t sort things out quickly, the Week 5 meeting with Green Bay could turn into an uncomfortable matchup for Dennis Allen’s group.
There are some possible answers, but none look clean. Cam Lewis can hold down a safety spot, though he does not bring Bryant’s level of play.
The Bears could also lean on Dillon Thieneman, whose athleticism gives him a shot to help slow Kraft, but he is still a rookie and asking him to live on an island against a polished pass catcher is a lot. Malik Muhammad has also worked in the slot during camp, yet he is another first-year player, and the Bears may not love his chances of holding up against Kraft’s size and physicality.
That puts even more weight on T.J. Edwards in the middle of the defense.
He’ll need to help limit one of the league’s better YAC threats, and Chicago knows what Edwards can look like when he’s rolling. He was in the middle of a breakout season before a season-ending injury cut his year in half.
Even with Kraft’s chemistry with Jordan Love, the Bears still have reasons to feel good about their chances against Green Bay. Ben Johnson seems to own him, and the Packers’ defense under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon remains a work in progress, especially with Micah Parsons possibly out of the Week 5 picture.
Still, Chicago can’t build its whole approach around winning a shootout. The offense can score in bunches, and the Bears can absolutely keep pace when the game opens up, but that kind of formula is not built to last.
For now, the Bears have a little more than a month to find a real answer for Kraft. Losing Bryant made the job harder, and unless the secondary steadies itself soon, the Packers’ tight end could be waiting for them right when the calendar flips to Week 5.
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