Tag: Bears center

Bears 2023 free agency preview: Will the Sam Mustipher era finally come to an end?

Sam Mustipher has drawn the ire of Bears fans for the last two years due to his struggles at center. Will the team finally move on from him?

NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.

Up next is center Sam Mustipher, who wound up playing a much bigger role than initially anticipated. But after another down year, will the Bears finally let him go?

Who is the most underrated player on the Chicago Bears?

Former second-round pick Cody Whitehair has been a versatile member of Chicago’s offensive line, where he’s played center and guard.

When you think about the Chicago Bears, typically Khalil Mack springs to mind. He’s become the face of the franchise following the blockbuster trade that brought the former All-Pro to Chicago.

Mack’s impact on the Bears has been significant since he arrived in 2018, where he’s transformed a top-10 defense into one of the NFL’s best, helping make those already talented crop of defensive players even better. It’s safe to say Mack’s contributions certainly aren’t taken for granted.

But who is the most underrated player on the Bears?

The easy answer is someone like defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, receiver Allen Robinson or nose tackle Eddie Goldman. But Pro Football Focus believes center Cody Whitehair is the team’s most underrated player.

Part of the reason for Whitehair’s inclusion on this list is that he’s coming off a career-worst overall grade of 64.9 in 2019, but he started the season at left guard rather than his usual center position. That has led to some question about where he fits on this line and what he’ll look like moving forward. 

When looking at just snaps played at center since 2016, Whitehair’s PFF grade of 79.8 ranks eighth — a top-shelf option who excels in the run game. That grade dips to 68.1 across either guard spot on nearly 800 career NFL snaps. If Whitehair remains at center, where he played the final eight weeks of the 2019 season, we should expect improved play again next season.

Whitehair, a former second-round pick, has been a versatile member of Chicago’s offensive line, where he’s played center and guard. He earned a rare second contract as a Ryan Pace draft pick following his solid contributions. Whitehair made his first Pro Bowl in 2018.

PFF noted how Whitehair started 2019 at left guard while James Daniels occupied the center position. Following early-season struggles on the offensive line, the Bears made a midseason switch moving Whitehair back to center and Daniels back to left guard, where they both excelled in 2018.

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