The Chicago Bears are a talented team, but they have their areas of concern as they prepare for their 2024 season opener against the Tennessee Titans on September 8.
Perhaps the biggest concern centers around one of the team’s biggest players. Bears right guard Nate Davis has been named Chicago’s worst starter.
After a rough 2023 where Davis drew six penalties and allowed 29 quarterback pressures, reports out of Bears training camp haven’t been kind to the former third-round pick.
Davis was absent from most of Chicago’s OTAs this spring and his presence has been sporadic throughout camp. So much so that head coach Matt Eberflus said Davis needed to find a way to practice, or he could be in danger of losing not only his job as a starter but also his place on the roster.
“Availability is everything in this league,” Eberflus said. “That’s all part of preparing the first part of the season, being able to do that. To callous yourself, that’s your individual responsibility to the football team, and when you’re not out there, guess what? That doesn’t happen.“
Davis has made 65 starts in the NFL since being drafted in 2019 by the Titans, including 11 in 2023. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Chicago before last season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Davis received the second-worst grade of his career (52.9), finishing ahead of his rookie season when he posted a 40.9 grade.
The Bears have to be able to protect Caleb Williams for him to take advantage of their offensive weaponry. The interior of Chicago’s line appears to be the biggest concern in making that happen, and no one along the line is under more scrutiny than Nate Davis.
More NFL: Dolphins release former Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson, place Anthony Schwartz on IR