The Bears walked out of Week 3 with a 27-7 win over the Eagles, but not everybody came away looking better for it. Some players kept sliding, and the tape showed more concern than celebration for a few spots on the roster.
Braxton Jones remains part of the conversation at left tackle, but not in a good way. Chicago has been working through a platoon there with Theo Benedet, and Jones had been getting most of the snaps.
This week, Benedet was on the field because of injury, and Jones still didn’t make a convincing case that the job is settled. He has not been the answer at left tackle, and the Bears are still waiting for Ozzy Trapilo to prove he is healthy enough.
Benedet’s turn didn’t help much either. He was not very good in relief of Jones, and the performance fit the reason he has stayed a part-time player.
According to PFF, he gave up three pressures on 34 total snaps, with 17 of those coming in pass protection. He is not the answer.
Rome Odunze is another name whose early-season stock keeps slipping. Through three weeks, he has been a disappointment, especially with Kalif Raymond outperforming him.
Against Philadelphia, Odunze turned in another ordinary line with three catches for 44 yards and also dropped an easy touchdown while the game was still close. For the season, he has eight catches for 139 yards and is averaging 1.53 yards per route run, the same rate as last year.
The former top ten pick has not progressed.
Kyle Monangai has also struggled to carve out a bigger role. He hasn’t been able to cut into D’Andre Swift’s workload, and his production has trended the wrong way after a strong opener.
Monangai ran for 100 yards in Week 1, then 43 the next week, and finished Week 3 with just 31 yards. His role is predictable, and he has not brought enough explosiveness is recent weeks.
Neville Gallimore is seeing his place in the defensive line rotation shrink. Signed to be part of that group, he has instead been losing snaps each week, going from 29 in Week 1 to 19 in Week 2 and then only 12 in the Bears’ Week 3 win. Chicago is leaning heavily into Kentavius Street over him.
There’s also the situation with Stevenson. He had a hamstring injury, but he was active and did not play.
Malik Muhammad looked fine on the outside, and Cam Lewis might be best in the slot. So, the Bears could be enticed to keep Stevenson on the bench.
In Other News...
Ryan Poles Just Changed The Bears Pass Rush Debate
The Bears spent the 2026 offseason reshaping the interior of their defensive line, adding several defensive tackles while leaving the edge group untouched and sending Gervon Dexter to Atlanta. Through three games, the early returns have made the front look more complete than the roster construction might have suggested, with Chicago piling up 52 quarterback pressures and seven sacks while ranking 10th in the NFL in pressure rate.
Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo have carried much of the load on the outside, and Austin Booker has also shown encouraging progress as the rotation has settled in. It leaves Ryan Poles in an interesting spot: the pass rush debate that looked like a clear offseason priority has shifted into a more nuanced conversation about whether the Bears have enough at edge, or whether the mix they assembled can keep producing once teams adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bears Receiver Back In The Mix As 49ers Injuries Mount
As injuries continue to chip away at the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver room, the team is turning back to a familiar name for help. Dante Pettis is expected to rejoin the 49ers practice squad after working out with the club and awaiting a physical, a move that gives them another experienced option as they try to steady a position group that has been stretched thin.
Pettis was originally drafted by San Francisco in 2018, and his return would add a bit of roster familiarity at a time when the 49ers need bodies more than they need introductions. He has moved on to multiple other NFL teams since then, but the receiver depth issue in San Francisco has created an opening for a player who knows the system and can at least provide another layer of insurance while the injuries sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]
Kalif Raymond Is Giving Bears Fans One New Reason To Worry
Three weeks into the season, Kalif Raymond has already become one of the Bears most important answers on offense. He leads the team in receiving with 214 yards and a touchdown, a sharp jump from what he was doing a year ago with the Lions, and it has given Chicago a much-needed playmaker while the passing game continues to take shape.
Raymonds workload is now drawing a different kind of concern, though, because the Bears have to balance what he gives them with how often they ask him to do it all. There is a real case for trimming his responsibilities and using him strictly as a receiver, since keeping him healthy may matter as much as keeping him productive over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]