The Chicago Bears won the season opener on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty by any means. They fell behind 17-0 at one point. Central to that was how out of sorts the offense looked. While Caleb Williams drew most of the criticism for obvious reasons, the true culprit of the problems was the offensive line. It was bullied by the Tennessee Titans defensive front all game long, and it was the interior where most of the problems surfaced. New center Coleman Shelton had a miserable afternoon, getting knocked on his back and missing blitz pickups.
However, a much bigger story unfolded at right guard. Everybody understandably assumed Nate Davis would start at that spot, given his lofty contract status and the fact he was finally healthy. It turns out those assumptions were way off base. Credit to Jonathan Wood of Da Bears Blog for spotting this. Davis played only 18 snaps on Sunday, while Ryan Bates, the Bears’ recent trade acquisition from Buffalo, played 28. That feels like a glaring message that a change is coming.
Both head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles have singled the veteran guard out multiple times this off-season, voicing frustration with his inability to stay healthy. Couple that with his underwhelming performances in training camp and the preseason, and it’s little wonder they are looking for an exit strategy. They probably would’ve pivoted sooner if Bates hadn’t suffered a shoulder injury last month. For all the talk about competing for the center job, it feels more and more like the Bears traded for him with the eventual intent to replace Davis.
Nobody can blame them. The guy has been nothing but a headache since he arrived in free agency. When he’s not out because of injuries, he’s suffering constant mistakes on the field. There is no question he’s talented. He can be a great guard when he is on. The problem is he’s rarely ever on. Bates might not be as gifted, but he gives everything he has on every single snap. Sometimes, that is preferable to a team. One thing is obvious from all this. It is becoming a safe bet the Chicago Bears will address guard next off-season.
