David Chao, MD
2 min read • August 05, 2022
Posted in
2021 record: 6-11 | 2022 FanDuel O/U win total: 6.5
The Bears traded a slew of picks last April to draft dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields in the first round, and are now in year one of Fields as the starting signal-caller from day one.
The Bears’ other top-40 pick in 2021, left tackle Teven Jenkins, played in only 161 snaps across six games in his rookie season after undergoing back surgery in August to address a lingering lumbar issue.
Chicago has also brought in veteran offensive linemen Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield to fill up the gaps left by incumbent right guard Dakota Dozier and retiring veteran Jason Peters.
Dozier underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a torn ACL, while Reiff missed the last four games of the season and the entire playoff run after suffering an ankle injury in Week 14.
Projected starting center Lucas Patrick suffered a broken right thumb at the start of training camp and likely won't be ready to snap by Week 1. He can play RG before then and it will be interesting to see how the line shapes up ahead of the regular season.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson II left for the Rams in free agency but was mostly ineffective in 2021.
Robinson II missed five games with a variety of ailments, and in his absence, Darnell Mooney established a strong rapport with Fields to the tune of 523 yards and 13.4 average air yards per attempt, good for 11th-best in the league for a QB-WR duo.
Workhorse running back David Montgomery missed four games with an MCL sprain, but finished the season and has been able to participate fully in Chicago’s offseason programs.
On defense, mainstay linebacker Khalil Mack was traded to the Chargers and former first-round pick Roquan Smith was placed on the PUP list as he “holds-in” while negotiating a long-term contract.
He is the only main roster Chicago player on the PUP list and the only defensive player with any availability concerns at this point.
Fields missed five games in 2021 with a variety of injuries, none of which will carry over into 2022, according to the Pro Football Docs.
The collection of injuries does concern the Docs, however, because it highlights the danger that his off-schedule playing style will put him in.
Fields can look to two current elite starters, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray, to see the blueprint for the two outcomes for small out-of-pocket quarterbacks: Wilson, who has learned to limit danger and played in 149 consecutive games, and Murray, who has had the last two seasons derailed by mid-season injuries.
One of the Bears’ brightest spots in the last two years has been Montgomery, who gained 1,150 total yards on 267 touches in 2021.
Montgomery suffered a mid-season MCL sprain that cost him four games, but the injury won’t linger into 2022 and the back will once again be in line to notch between 250 and 300 touches behind Fields and a rebuilt offensive line.
Jenkins dropped to No. 39 in the 2021 Draft partly because of concerns about a lumbar strain he suffered the previous November, fears that came to fruition as Jenkins missed all but 161 snaps while recovering from preseason back surgery.
The GM at the time, Ryan Pace, said that the surgery fixed whatever issue was ailing Jenkins, and the Pro Football Docs are confident that Jenkins will be fully healthy heading into 2022.
With the recent addition of Riley Reiff, it is unclear if Jenkins will start at left or right tackle, but he will be physically capable of succeeding at either slot.
Written by David Chao, MD
