The Chicago Bears mercifully have only three games left, but there’s always something to play for — even something as minimal as pride.
What’s supposed to set this bad Bears team apart from the others is a core of young, talented players. That group can entice a quality head coach to want to come to Chicago. It can make this a quicker turnaround.
The Bears wrap their season with home games against the Lions and Seahawks, then at Lambeau Field against the Packers. Those matchups won’t be easy, but formidable opponents also allow the front office, and prospective coaches, to keep learning about what general manager Ryan Poles has in the locker room.
Below are 11 players with the most to gain over the final three games. You won’t see veterans whose starting spots and playing levels are knowns, like wide receiver DJ Moore, tight end Cole Kmet, cornerback Jaylon Johnson or linebacker T.J. Edwards. It’s a mix of players who can simply keep building confidence and make the franchise feel better moving forward and those who have uncertain contractual or job statuses ahead of 2025.
1. QB Caleb Williams
Williams should be 1-5 on this list. He’s everything when it comes to the Bears’ future. Williams can’t control the offensive line play, the play calls that come in, or the run game, but he can show improvement. He has to get the ball out quicker, find ways to create explosives down the field, take fewer sacks and get the offense into a rhythm.
The current eight-game losing streak and all the hits have to have taken a toll on him, even if he says otherwise. It could affect his mechanics and decision-making as he tries to will the Bears to a win. In these final three games, Williams has the potential to make everyone around the franchise feel a lot better heading into 2025. But he has to put a full game together or lead several touchdown drives.
“I think continuing to do a really good job of just the communication in and out of the huddle so we have as much time as possible on the play clock to make adjustments and get the play call in fast,” interim head coach Thomas Brown said. “It’s also understanding how to go through every single call the days before, the nights before the game, leading up to a game, so we have some answers if the defense gives you different wrinkles when it comes to playing man coverage, when it comes to different pressures, when it comes to empty stuff and overloading us.
“I think he’s continuing to progress well. He’s a super confident dude, which I love about him. Just continue to keep battling.”
The goal for the end of this season wasn’t so much playoffs, it was having certainty that Williams is going to be a very good quarterback in this league. That might still be there for some, but he has three games to help make it a consensus.
2. WR Rome Odunze
The Bears are 31st in passing offense and 31st in pass yards per play. That hasn’t helped Odunze’s rookie season. He’s still fifth among rookie wide receivers in receiving yards and has had some impressive moments, but similar to Williams, everyone around the Bears would love to see a few more highlight-reel catches from Odunze.
If Keenan Allen isn’t re-signed, Odunze will be in a more prominent role next season, and he can use these final three games to gain confidence, keep learning about how defenses play him and maybe even catch Willie Gault for second in franchise history for receiving yards as a rookie behind Harlon Hill. He needs 213 yards to do that.
Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze 🎯
The @ChicagoBears rookies connect again.
📺: #CHIvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/CDT739H1Uz— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024
3. RT Darnell Wright
The common thought over the past month has been that the Bears have one definite starter on the offensive line next season — Wright, last year’s No. 10 pick. That’s true, but Wright has not taken the Year 2 jump that might have been expected. He’s battled some injuries but hasn’t been consistently mauling defenses or protecting Williams like he should based on what we saw from his rookie season.
While Wright isn’t playing for a starting spot or a contract, he can get a lot out of the final three games if he ups his level of play.
4. LG Teven Jenkins
Injuries affected Jenkins again this season, but he’s also fought through a few things to stay on the field. Still, he hasn’t been as consistently dominant. It’s hard to look at this season and say the Bears should open the checkbook for him. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not still auditioning for Poles as well as GMs around the league as he’s set to enter free agency. A strong finish could mean a lot for Jenkins’ next contract.
5. LTs Kiran Amegadjie and Braxton Jones
Is either player starting at left tackle in Week 1 of 2025? Maybe. Amegadjie was put in a brutal spot Monday night. If Jones remains out with a concussion, would a full week of practice ahead of the Week 16 game against Detroit better set Amegadjie up for success? One would think.
By drafting Amegadjie, Poles could’ve had someone to develop into becoming the starter next year or at least earning a position battle. He has a lot to prove to get to that point but could have an opportunity in the final games.
“Moving forward, if a guy has more opportunities to practice and have reps with that, I feel really good about his growth and development,” Brown said of Amegadjie. “But also it’s a tough environment for anyone to make his first start on the road in a loud environment versus a defense that rushes the passer pretty good.”
As for Jones, he’s had a solid but not spectacular season. If the Bears use a high draft pick on a left tackle, he could be the bridge, move inside, become the backup or be traded. If he can return to the field, how can he improve his situation ahead of an uncertain offseason before the last year of his rookie deal?
6. DE Montez Sweat
This goes in the confidence-building section, both for player and organization. Sweat has only 4 1/2 sacks this year. He’s battled injuries, which has kept him off the field at times. The QB pressures and hurries are there, but he’s not the highest-paid player on the defense to simply affect the quarterback, he’s paid to take that player to the ground and create turnovers. Sweat’s last (and only) strip-sack came in Week 4.
There shouldn’t be concern about whether Sweat will be a key cog for next year’s defense. But it’d be positive for everyone to see him make a few splash plays in the last three weeks.
7. DT Gervon Dexter Sr.
If Dexter can return from his knee injury, similarly to Wright and Odunze, he and the team can benefit from a productive final three games. Dexter leads the team in sacks (five) and QB hits (16). How much more can he show against Detroit, Seattle and Green Bay, if healthy? Going back to the theme of feeling better about the foundation for 2025, Dexter can be a major part of that. Dexter made one of the only good defensive plays in the loss to the 49ers, a run stop, and it’s his run defense that can keep getting better.
8. CB Kyler Gordon
Gordon is the only player from the 2022 draft who could get a contract extension. The splash play numbers could be better (three tackles for loss, four passes defensed, two QB hits and no interceptions). Durability has been the issue for Gordon, but when he’s on the field, he’s a dynamic player in the slot. Can he prove enough to get a new deal before the start of 2025, the last year of his rookie contract?
9. CBs Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith
We know that Jaylon Johnson and Gordon will be part of the 2025 starting lineup, but what about the other cornerback spot? Stevenson’s season will always be remembered for the Hail Mary gaffe of all gaffes, and that the team has completely derailed since then doesn’t help his standing. Stevenson leads the defense with six penalties, including three of the team’s six pass-interference flags. He’s a second-round pick and the talent is there, but is that enough? It hasn’t been to keep Stevenson as a full-time player, as he continues to rotate every couple of series with Smith.
The second-year cornerback out of Minnesota has only one penalty this year, and it was on special teams. However, Smith has three passes defensed compared with Stevenson’s team-high 11.
Entering this season, the Bears seemed to be in a great spot at corner, with four ascending, young players. That might still be the case, but there could be an opportunity for some competition at that outside spot opposite Johnson. With some top-flight receivers on the schedule over the next three weeks, both Stevenson and Smith will get chances to make their case for 2025.
(Top photo of Rome Odunze and Caleb Williams: Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)
