If the Bears are going to be Super Bowl bound in 2019, Matt Nagy is going to need career years out of these five players.
The Bears surprised quite a few people around the NFL by winning the NFC North by 3.5 games in 2018. If head coach Matt Nagy and company are going to repeat as division champs, several players on the roster will need to enjoy career seasons.
Last season, the Chicago defense was one of the most dominant units in football. Khalil Mack’s arrival from Oakland certainly got a lot of headlines, but first-round linebacker Roquan Smith also made a huge impact during his rookie season. It will be a serious challenge for the Bears to duplicate their defensive heroics from 2018.
The offense continues to improve under Nagy’s watchful eye. There are still serious questions about whether or not Mitchell Trubisky is the right trigger man to lead Chicago to the promised land, but the franchise is firmly committed to him as their starting quarterback. This season could prove to be a make or break campaign for the former North Carolina star.
The Bears have what it takes to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but they’ll need the following five players to perform at a Pro Bowl level.
5. Trey Burton
Chicago uses the tight end as creatively as anyone in the NFL. Burton is the clear starter. It stands to reason that he needs to play well this season if the Bears offense is going to function at a high level.
Burton was good last year, but he’s got the talent to become a great weapon in Nagy’s offense. He did catch 54 balls for 569 yards and six touchdowns last season, but in this system he’s capable of flirting with a 1,000 yard campaign. The Bears might want to spread the ball around too much to let that happen, but Burton needs to give them a healthy increase in productivity to help this offense reach its full potential.