Tag: Sam Mustipher

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?

Bears 2022 OL review: Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones bright spots among struggling unit

Our next Bears position review of 2022 looks at the offensive line, which featured some standouts on a struggling unit.

The Chicago Bears wrapped the 2022 season with a 3-14 record, which culminated in a 10-game losing streak. But there’s still reasons to be optimistic about the future, including a boatload of salary cap space, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and the emergence of quarterback Justin Fields.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position through the 2022 Bears and grading every player. Next up is the offensive line, which had its share of struggles in pass protection and will likely be overhauled this offseason.

Bears players know there’s plenty of roster turnover on the way

As Bears players packed their things Monday at Halas Hall, there was one overwhelming sentiment: They know change is coming.

The Chicago Bears have wrapped the 2022 season, which culminated in a 3-14 record and a 10-game losing streak.

As players gathered Monday to pack their things in the locker room at Halas Hall, there was one overwhelming sentiment: They know change is coming.

“There’s going to be a lot of roster turnover and rollover,” center Sam Mustipher said, via the Sun-Times.

That’s been evident since last offseason when general manager Ryan Poles tore down the roster, which included getting rid of expensive contracts (where the dead cap piled up) and signing one-year, prove-it deals ahead of an offseason where the Bears will have north of $100 million in salary cap space.

Oh, not to mention, Chicago has the No. 1 overall draft pick, which gives them a ton of leverage. With the consensus being Poles will trade back from first overall, it could add to the already eight draft picks for 2023.

There was a bit of uncertainty from right guard Teven Jenkins when looking to the future in 2023.

“I mean, we have a lot of cap space and a lot of opportunities in this draft, so I really don’t know how it’s going to go,” Jenkins said. “I don’t ever want to be the person to say, ‘Yeah, I have a spot.’ I don’t want to do that because I always want to stay hungry and feel like I still have to chase my job even if I have it secure.”

The Bears had arguably the worst roster in the NFL this season, but they do have some pieces in place. That starts with quarterback Justin Fields and includes receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, tight end Cole Kmet, safeties Eddie Jackson and rookie Jaquan Brisker, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and rookie Kyler Gordon, as well as rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn.

But there are more on the way.

“We’re gonna get some good guys in here, man,” defensive lineman Justin Jones said. “We’re gonna do it crazy. We have a lot of good talent here already — and we’ve got a lot of good talent we’re gonna build on.”

If there’s one player who’s safe this offseason, it’s quarterback Justin Fields.

“My job is strictly to get better, work on my skills at quarterback and ultimately get my teammates better,” Fields said. “So of course I’m going to pay attention to who we get and stuff like that, but to be honest, I’m just focused on me right now. And everybody else that’s on the team. And just getting better with those guys.”

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Matt Eberflus, Bears players share emotional reactions about Damar Hamlin

Here’s what Eberflus and Bears players had to say about Damar Hamlin and the terrifying reality that comes with playing this violent game.

The NFL world is still grappling with the horrifying incident that transpired during Monday night’s game between the Bills and Bengals, where safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field.

Hamlin collapsed following a routine tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, where it was later confirmed he suffered cardiac arrest. Hamlin was administered CPR on the field and taken to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Hamlin is still fighting for his life, but there have been some positive updates that have been shared. Hamlin’s friend Jordon Rooney told ESPN reporter Coley Harvey on Wednesday morning that doctors got “promising readings that they had been hoping to see” and that “progress appears to be made.”

What happened to Hamlin has rocked the NFL world, where players were reminded about the terrifying reality that comes with playing this violent game. But, most importantly, Hamlin remains at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus, running back David Montgomery, center Sam Mustipher and quarterback Nathan Peterman all met with the media Wednesday, where they shared their thoughts.

Here’s what they had to say:

Bears players react to Teven Jenkins’ neck injury

The Bears’ biggest loss on Sunday was Teven Jenkins suffering a scary neck injury on the first series against the Eagles.

The Chicago Bears were defeated, 25-20, by the Philadelphia Eagles, dropping them to 3-11 on the season. But that wasn’t the biggest loss on Sunday.

Right guard Teven Jenkins suffered a scary neck injury during the first drive of the game. Jenkins, surrounded by his entire team, was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off the field. He was later taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus provided an “encouraging” update after the game, saying that “he was responsive” and was “moving his hands.” That was the only update Eberflus was provided at that time, but he’s sure to have further updates in the coming days.

Center Sam Mustipher explained his vantage point of the play.

“It looked like his neck got stretched out a little bit on the pull,” Mustipher said, via the Chicago Tribune. “From everything I’ve heard from everybody around the locker room, he’s doing well. He was moving his hands and talking on the field. In a situation like that, when somebody gets pulled off on a stretcher, that’s what you want to see.”

It was a scary situation that happened on the field. And considering everything Jenkins has been through since the offseason, you have to feel for the former second-round pick.

“All my prayers and wishes are out to him doing well,” left tackle Braxton Jones said.

Jenkins has been the Bears’ best offensive lineman this season, so his loss severely impacted the offensive line in this game. Chicago allowed six sacks on quarterback Justin Fields, including five in the first half.

“That’s tough,” Mustipher said. “And then especially when it happened early on, your juices are flowing, your adrenaline is flowing, getting out there to play a physical game against a very good opponent. And then to see something happen like that, it’s kind of deflating.

“But you’ve got to regroup, refocus and then get back into it. But, yeah, it’s definitely tough to see.”

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Bears OL Lucas Patrick out for season following foot surgery

Bears lineman Lucas Patrick will miss the rest of the season after he underwent surgery to repair his injured toe.

The Chicago Bears will be without veteran center/guard Lucas Patrick for the rest of the season. On Wednesday, head coach Matt Eberflus announced Patrick had surgery a couple weeks ago to repair his injured toe that has kept him out for the last four weeks and will miss the rest of the year.

Patrick injured his toe during the Bears’ 33-14 route of the New England Patriots back in late October and was placed on injured reserve, forcing him to miss the last four games. He was eligible to be activated this week, but he’ll now miss the final six games as he recovers.

Patrick was signed this spring to a two-year deal after six seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The veteran lineman was slated to become the team’s new starting center, but a thumb injury forced him to miss almost the entirety of training camp and the preseason. He returned for Week 1, but played guard almost exclusively during the regular season. Patrick was making his first regular-season start at center against the Patriots before he was injured.

The Bears will now rely on Sam Mustipher for the rest of the season as their starting center. Mustipher was set to back Patrick up, but wound up starting due to Patrick’s thumb injury and will now continue doing so as the Bears gear up for the final portion of their season.

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NFL trade deadline: Bears acquire former Notre Dame star from Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers sent Chase Claypool on his way to Chicago for a second-round pick Tuesday.

Former Notre Dame star wide receiver [autotag]Chase Claypool[/autotag] is on the move shortly before the NFL trade deadline as the Pittsburgh Steelers have traded him to the Chicago Bears.  Claypool had played with the Steelers since being drafted in 2020.

Claypool has dealt with quarterback issues in Pittsburgh the last two seasons and managed to pull in 32 receptions for 311 yards and one touchdown through eight games this year.  Claypool had previously managed 860 (2021) and 873 (2020) receiving yards in the two years previous.

Field Yates reports the Steelers will receive a second-round draft pick in return.

As a Bears fan I’m thrilled Claypool is headed here as he’s one of the best receivers Notre Dame has had in the last decade, but after trading star linebacker Roquan Smith for a second and fifth-round pick Monday, it feels like a significant talent drop overall for the Bears in terms of actual players, with the addition of a useful but hardly exciting fifth-rounder.

That said, the Bears wide receiver group is a disaster and Claypool brings an obvious upgrade. Former Notre Dame teammates [autotag]Cole Kmet[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Mustipher[/autotag], and [autotag]Equinimious St. Brown[/autotag] will be awaiting his arrival in Chicago as Claypool will be the fourth former Golden Domer on the Bears active roster.

Check out some of the best photos of Claypool during his time at Notre Dame below.

Related:  Colleges with the most players on Week 1 NFL rosters (2022)

Bears OL Lucas Patrick headed to injured reserve

The Bears will place OL Lucas Patrick on IR, which means he’ll be eligible to return Week 12, at the earliest.

It’s more unfortunate news along the offensive line for the Chicago Bears as center Lucas Patrick will be sidelined for at least a month.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Wednesday that Patrick is expected to land on injured reserve, which will sideline him for a minimum of four games. Patrick will be eligible to return in Week 12 against the New York Jets.

Patrick suffered a toe injury in Monday night’s win against the New England Patriots. Patrick was making his first start at center this season, where he replaced Sam Mustipher. Now, Mustipher will be back starting at center until Patrick’s return.

Eberflus also noted that Dieter Eiselen will be elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, where he’ll be the backup option at center. Left guard Cody Whitehair, who also has experience at center, remains on IR. He’s eligible to return next week when Chicago hosts the Miami Dolphins.

With Patrick landing on IR, here’s what the offensive line looks like: LT Braxton Jones, LG Michael Schofield, C Sam Mustipher, RG Teven Jenkins, RT Larry Borom.

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Changes are coming to Bears’ offensive line ahead of game vs. Patriots

It sounds like Lucas Patrick is finally moving to center as the Bears see some changes along the offensive line before tonight’s game.

It sounds like there are changes coming to the Chicago Bears’ offensive line ahead of tonight’s game against the New England Patriots.

According to Mark Grote of 670 the Score, Lucas Patrick will take over for Sam Mustipher at center, and there’s some other shuffling at left guard. Michael Schofield will assume the vacancy at left guard, with Cody Whitehair still on injured reserve.

This is in line with a previous report from ESPN’s David Kaplan earlier this week, which he reported that Mustipher was getting benched and Patrick finally moving to center after playing both left and right guard through six games.

The rest of the offensive line will remain in tact with rookie Braxton Jones at left tackle, Teven Jenkins at right guard and Larry Borom at right tackle.

Whitehair is eligible to return as early as Week 9 when the Bears host the Miami Dolphins. When he does return, he’ll resume his left guard role in place of Schofield.

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Report: Bears are benching Sam Mustipher vs. New England

The Bears are reportedly shuffling their offensive line ahead of this week’s matchup against the Patriots.

It appears change is finally coming to the Chicago Bears offensive line. According to ESPN 1000 and NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan, the Bears are shuffling their offensive line for this week’s matchup against the New England Patriots, most notably benching center Sam Mustipher in favor of Lucas Patrick.

Kaplan reports Patrick will slide over from left guard to replace Mustipher and veteran Michael Schofield will enter the starting lineup in place of Patrick. The rest of the offensive line will remain the same, with Braxton Jones, Larry Borom, and Teven Jenkins continuing to play left tackle, right tackle, and right guard, respectively.

The change has been a long time coming for the interior of the offensive line. Mustipher took over the starting center position in training camp when Patrick was lost for an extended period of time after suffering a thumb injury. But even when Patrick returned and was deemed healthy enough to play, the Bears stuck with Mustipher, who has surrendered numerous pressures and has struggled at times with penalties and snapping the ball.

Patrick, who had been rotating at right guard with Jenkins, moved to the left side following an injury to Cody Whitehair. But given the struggles that Mustipher and the entire offensive line have had as a whole, a change needed to be made. The Bears are tied with the Washington Commanders for the league lead in sacks allowed with 23.

No official announcement has come from the team and we will likely have to wait until Monday night to get confirmation, but this change at the very least shows the Bears are doing something different that will hopefully result in cleaner pockets for Justin Fields going forward.

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