Heading into the 2020 season, the Chicago Bears are looking to rebound following a disappointing outing that concluded with a 8-8 record last year. If they’re going to make a run back to the playoffs, they’re going to need several players to step it up this season.
There are a slew of Bears players that are poised to have rebound or breakout seasons after down years, whether it’s experienced veterans or young players on the rise. And if they’re able to rise to the challenge, that will only mean good things for Chicago.
Here are six Bears players that should take a major step forward in the 2020 season.
1. RB David Montgomery
While David Montgomery had a solid year in 2019, his rookie season certainly didn’t go as expected. Montgomery had 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns. He surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie, also adding 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. But Montgomery certainly wasn’t helped by a struggling offensive line and Matt Nagy’s aversion to the run game.
Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries. With a bigger emphasis on the run game this offseason and a full season in Nagy’s offense, expect Montgomery to improve on his rookie year.
2. WR Anthony Miller
Anthony Miller is poised for a breakout season in 2020. With the release of Taylor Gabriel, Miller looks to be the No. 2 receiver opposite Allen Robinson. While Miller had a slow start to his 2019 campaign, when the offense started to heat up, so did Miller. There was a five-game stretch where he tallied 33 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns between Weeks 11-15. Miller finished the year with 52 receptions for 656 yards and two touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Miller suffered another shoulder injury, which required surgery, but he’s expected to be ready to go for training camp. Miller has shown that he’s capable of being a downfield threat for the Bears, and this year could surely be his breakout year.
3. ILB Roquan Smith
The Bears are expecting big things from Roquan Smith heading into his third season. While he had a slow start to the year in 2019, he was playing some of his best football before suffering a torn pectoral muscle in Week 14. Smith led the Bears in tackles for a second straight season with 101 and he added two sacks, two quarterback hits and an interception.
Smith has a chip on his shoulder heading into the 2020 season, as he knows that he didn’t play to his expectations last year. But with the athleticism and instincts that he possesses, this could be the year Smith puts it all together.
4. S Eddie Jackson
In just three seasons, Eddie Jackson has established himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL. And now, he’s been compensated as one. The Bears inked Jackson to a four-year extension, which keeps a cornerstone piece of their defense in place through 2024. Jackson has been praised for his vision and instincts, something that has made him quite the playmaker in his first two years in the NFL.
And he’ll certainly benefit by moving back to his natural free safety position with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix now in Dallas. In two years at free safety, Jackson has totaled eight interceptions, 21 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and scored five defensive touchdowns, which garnered him All-Pro and Pro-Bowl nods in 2018. The belief is that Jackson will get back to his ballhawking ways in returning to free safety in 2020.
5. OLB Khalil Mack
No one was more disappointed in Khalil Mack’s 2019 performance than Mack himself. While Mack was far from bad, his production took a dip in a season where Chicago’s pass rush struggled. He had a career-low 47 tackles and his 8.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits were his lowest since his rookie season.
But Mack is certainly poised for a bounce-back year in 2020, especially with the return of Akiem Hicks and the free-agent addition of edge rusher Robert Quinn, who replaces Leonard Floyd. While Quinn should take advantage of those one-on-one opportunities opposite Mack, Quinn also knows how to get after the quarterback, which will only benefit Mack.
6. WR Riley Ridley
Despite the hype surrounding Bears fourth-round pick receiver Riley Ridley, he didn’t see the field often in his rookie season. He struggled with injuries early in training camp, and he was a healthy scratch in the first 11 games of his rookie year. In five games, Ridley had just six catches for 69 yards.
Ridley was a virtual non-factor in his rookie season, but that figures to change in 2020. Entering the second year in this offense, receivers coach Mike Furrey expects Ridley to take a big leap in his sophomore year.
