2024 will be a pivotal season in the history of the Chicago Bears franchise.
After drafting Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 National Football League Draft, the Bears have high expectations, especially coming off a four-win improvement a season ago.
The Bears have quite literally never had a franchise quarterback, so the hope of one calling Chicago home for the next decade-plus is undoubtedly comforting to Bears fans. But there's still plenty of work to be done to ensure Williams' tenure is a success.
The simple truth is that a quarterback is only effective if he has time to work with in the pocket. And one Bears insider is concerned about the reliability of Williams' protection.
On Tuesday, Bears reporter Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic said that the "biggest concern" for the Bears heading into the new season was the performance of the team's offensive line.
"With a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams, the O-line’s performance is so critical," Fishbain said. "Can left tackle Braxton Jones and left guard Teven Jenkins stay healthy? How will Coleman Shelton fare at center? And right guard Nate Davis, can he finally be reliable?"
"This group does have potential if everything comes together, and Jenkins could be one of the best if he avoids injury, but the line’s durability issues and lack of Pro Bowl talent makes it, again, the top question entering the season."
It's often said that a quarterback is only good as his offensive line, so it's reasonable for Bears fans to be concerned about this group heading into the season.
With that being said, all five players listed as starters on the Bears' depth chart, whom Fishbain named above, are 29 or younger. Sure, there are kinks to work out, but the Bears have youth on their side when figuring out the right mix of talent moving forward.
If any of the five starting slots are the most concerning, it may be the center position, where Shelton has drawn mixed reviews as the starter the past two seasons. There was even talk that the Bears would pursue Indianapolis Colts Pro-Bowler Ryan Kelly to fill the center void in 2025.
If the men up front can keep Williams comfortable in year one, the Bears will feel better about their future window of contention than ever before. But we've yet to see how it will play out on the field.
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