The Chicago Bears are coming off a disappointing 2019 season, which included an 8-8 record and a third-place finish in the NFC North. The sky-high expectations at the beginning of the year were dashed, and now the Bears find themselves looking to rebound with a return to the postseason amid several questions.
Last season, the Chicago Bears suffered some significant losses, especially on defense, which certainly hurt the team. But heading into training camp, those players are set to make their return for the 2020 season.
Our Bears Wire staff shares their thoughts on which Bears players are poised for a comeback season in 2020.
Alyssa: LB Roquan Smith
Coming off an encouraging rookie season, Roquan Smith’s sophomore campaign didn’t go as planned. Following a slow start, he stepped his game up, especially when Danny Trevathan got injured in Week 10, and he wound up leading the team with 101 tackles, including five tackles for loss, two sacks, two passes defensed and an interception. With Smith headed into his third season — second in Chuck Pagano’s scheme — he appears poised to take that next step.
While there aren’t many calling this a make-or-break year for Smith, he’s taking that pressure on himself. This is a prove-it year for the young Bears linebacker, and he’ll be playing for his next contract on a defense that’s one of the best in the NFL. Considering the luck that GM Ryan Pace has had with first-round draft picks over the years, Smith appears poised to break the mold and become a cornerstone of this defense for years to come.
Brendan: LB Danny Trevathan
When Trevathan went down with a severe arm injury during a Week 10 matchup with the Detroit Lions, many assumed the veteran linebacker had played his last down with the Bears as he was set to be a free agent. But GM Ryan Pace chose to re-sign Trevathan over younger linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, also a free agent, who left for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The move was somewhat surprising, but when you consider what Trevathan means to this Bears defense, it made a whole lot of sense. The former Super Bowl 50 champion is considered to be one of the key leaders of the unit, alongside defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. He’s been instrumental in the development of linebacker Roquan Smith and the two have shown they gel when they’re on the field together.
Prior to his injury, Trevathan was on his way to another superb season with 67 total tackles through eight complete games. While he’s only played in all 16 games just once as a Chicago Bear, he’s still extremely productive when healthy. Some may think Trevathan is on the down slope of his career, but he’s only 30 years old. I expect him to fully bounce back and pick up where he left off in 2019.
Ryan: DT Akiem Hicks
Limited to just five games last year, the Bears missed Hicks’ presence along the defensive line more than they could have imagined. The 30-year-old has blossomed into an elite defensive tackle since signing with the Bears before the 2016 season, tallying 24.0 sacks, 39 tackles for loss, and 58 quarterback hits in 3+ seasons.
One member of the Chicago Bears who benefits the most from Hicks returning is Khalil Mack, who couldn’t force as much pressure after his teammate’s injury. Think about this. Mack collected 4.5 sacks within the first five weeks of the 2019 season, but then had just four sacks over the next 11 weeks.
