The Bears needed safety help fast, and Xavier Woods arrived with the kind of urgency that can settle a shaky secondary in a hurry.
Chicago moved quickly after injuries piled up in camp late last week, with Coby Bryant going down and other defensive backs, including Cam Lewis, also getting hurt. The Bears responded by adding four defensive backs over the last few days, but Woods was the headliner. He’s in his 10th NFL season, and he wasted no time making an impression.
His first practice was mostly about learning on the fly. By Sunday, in just his second Bears workout, he was already showing why Chicago moved so aggressively to bring him in.
More storms in the Chicago area forced the team indoors, and Woods brought the heat with him. ESPN Bears reporter Courtney Cronin said.
“Xavier Woods intercepted a Caleb Williams throw in the final team period," CHGO's Adam Jahns reported. "He also hit TE Colston Loveland hard on a 4th-and-10 play.”
That’s the version of Woods the Bears were hoping to get. Over 134 career games, he has 660 tackles, 50 pass deflections, 15 interceptions, 11 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and two sacks.
In 11 games with the Tennessee Titans last season, he posted 39 tackles, three pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack. Pro Football Focus graded him at 65.4, which ranked 46th out of 98 NFL safeties.
Chicago’s defense has a lot of new faces, and Woods’ early work matters even more because of that. Rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman is one of the players who can benefit from having a veteran like Woods around, especially one who has spent most of his career as a starter.
Woods brings more than experience, too. He’s the kind of safety who can deliver a hit and make a play on the football when it’s in the air.
With Lewis’ return timeline still unknown, Woods appears positioned to open the season as the Week 1 starter if he stays healthy. After the injury wave the Bears have dealt with, getting this kind of early impact from Woods is exactly what they needed.
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