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Chicago Bears Breakout Candidates in 2023 Include Khalil Herbert, Jaylon Johnson, and Braxton Jones

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4 months ago

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The Chicago Bears had a busy offseason as they revamped an offense that desperately needed explosiveness and more talent. Armed with an array of draft picks and dollars to spend in free agency, Bears general manager Ryan Poles didn’t disappoint fans who wanted to see the roster improve for 2023. We can realistically expect a jump in performance on both sides of the ball.

With quarterback Justin Fields headlining an offense set to be more balanced in 2023 and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds now leading an athletic defense, role players are in a better position to break out this year. We dive into the three Bears breakout candidates this season beyond players who have established themselves as foundational pieces.

Chicago Bears Breakout Candidates in 2023

RB Khalil Herbert

The Bears allowed veteran David Montgomery to depart to Detroit, then replaced him with former Carolina Panthers back D’Onta Foreman and fourth-round rookie Roschon Johnson. Foreman has already been clear he has no intention of being a “back seat” option to Herbert, but he won’t have much of a say once the team hits the field. Foreman was good in 2022 when he broke out with 914 yards, but Herbert was dominant in his 129 rush attempts.

The biggest problem Herbert had last year was the Bears’ reluctance to give him more snaps when Montgomery was healthy. Though Herbert hasn’t produced as a pass catcher yet, Foreman’s addition shows the team may not value that aspect as much as they may have previously. Foreman has only 23 catches in five seasons, Herbert had 23 in two seasons, and Johnson had 32 over his final three seasons at Texas.

With the receiving corps getting a big boost by the addition of DJ Moore, a healthy Darnell Mooney, and sliding Chase Claypool into a more-fitting third-target role, the receiving aspect from the running back position may not be as important.

Herbert’s ground production justifies giving him a larger role and relegating Foreman into more of a “lightning” to Herbert’s “thunder.”

MORE: Are the Chicago Bears a Bottom-5 Offense Heading Into 2023?

Herbert’s efficiency in 2022 was startling, but a real breakout can come with more touches. He led all running backs with 5.7 yards per carry, ranked seventh in juke rate, and overcame the 21st-ranked run-blocking unit. The biggest flaw on his résumé was he wasn’t given a role when Montgomery was available.

Poles said the plan is to not rely on one back and to instead maximize the rotation they’ve built at the position. However, as the season progresses, expect Herbert’s talent to continue to endear him to the staff because he’s simply the best rusher on the team.

LT Braxton Jones

Poles’ first draft class with the Bears was largely inconsequential in their rookie season, but he did appear to find a stud in left tackle Braxton Jones. The former fifth-round pick ranked eighth in pass-block win rate amongst all tackles and was the only Bear to play every snap last year. He was PFF’s 12th-highest-graded rookie in the entire NFL.

Despite his obvious success, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell said Jones “kept his head above water” as a rookie. While Jones’ rookie year didn’t guarantee he’s the next All-Pro at his position, an improved season from the Bears will put Jones further into the spotlight, and his profile will rise.

Jones noted he’s working to improve his ability to handle bull rushes entering his second year, and Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said Jones is “really strong right now.” With the Bears set to face elite pass rushers in Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett, and Maxx Crosby in 2023, expect Jones to be in the spotlight as more people tune into Bears games.

CB Jaylon Johnson

The Bears’ cornerback room was a near disaster in 2022. Second-round rookie Kyler Gordon was awful as he adjusted to the NFL, allowing 76.8% of targets to be completed for the third-most yards in the NFL with 764. Jaylon Jones and Kindle Vildor weren’t as bad but were clearly below average as well.

The two bright spots within the unit were cornerback Jaylon Johnson and rookie safety Jaquan Brisker. Johnson is less known despite entering his fourth season. He led the team by allowing only 58.8% of targets to be completed in 11 games played.

MORE: Chicago Bears 2023 Schedule

Only 24 years old, Johnson came into his own at the right time. The Bears sound like they agree, with Poles expressing that the team wants to extend Johnson before the 2023 season starts so they can lock in their CB1 long-term. Johnson said he wants to improve his interception total, which sits at one through 39 career games played, but he’s happy with how sound he is in coverage.

Johnson’s film doesn’t disagree. The six-foot cornerback fits Matt Eberflus’ zone-based defense well, and he can deter targets by crowding passing lanes with his length and closing ability. He has to churn out more ball production to take his game to the next level, but becoming a consistently good player in coverage is a big step in that development.



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Latest on Kansas City Chiefs RB

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38 mins ago

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September 23, 2023

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The Kansas City Chiefs look poised to have a massive day on Sunday when the Chicago Bears come to town. With all the fantasy football goodness going around, will RB Isiah Pacheco be on the field to take part?

Are you looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Are you having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s FREE Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision.

What Happened to Isiah Pacheco?

Pacheco seemed to injure his hamstring in Week 2 against Jacksonville. He finished the game and the week at RB25 with 70 yards rushing and two receiving targets.

Head coach Andy Reid made it clear that it was not a hamstring tear that was keeping Pacheco off the practice field, which is comforting to a certain extent. The running back missed Wednesday’s practice and returned in a limited fashion on Thursday and Friday.

He will be questionable for Sunday and might be a game-time decision dependent on how he feels in warmups.

What Are Kansas City’s Options if Pacheco Misses Time?

This is a great matchup for Kansas City RBs, so if Pacheco is unable to play, other players could be fantasy-relevant. If Pacheco sits, it will open the door for Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon.

MORE: Week 3 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

This game currently has a 12.5-point spread and could get out of hand very quickly, leading Kansas City to run the ball. Whichever RB plays could have a good game.

What Does This Mean for Pacheco’s Fantasy Ranking?

According to our Consensus PFN Rankings, Isaiah Pacheco is RB18. The matchup is solid in a game where everyone anticipates that Kansas City will get out fast and early. As long as Pacheco logs a practice on Saturday, you should be able to fire him up with confidence in your lineups.

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Latest on Green Bay RB

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2 hours ago

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September 23, 2023

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After starting 2023 off with a bang, fantasy football managers were left having to wait to see more from Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones. Here is the latest on Jones and his injury.

Are you looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Are you having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s FREE Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision.

What Happened to Aaron Jones?

Jones had a monster game in Week 1, finishing as the RB1 with 41 yards on the ground, 86 yards through the air, and two total TDs. Fantasy managers were delighted until they saw him grab his left hamstring as he ran through the end zone at the end of a spectacular TD catch and run.

MORE: Week 3 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

The hamstring injury caused Jones to be held out of Week 2, and the Packers lost a nailbiter to the Atlanta Falcons.

Jones had not been practicing, so when he returned on Thursday, it put hope into managers’ hearts. His practices this week have been limited, and he’s questionable to play on Sunday versus the New Orleans Saints. However, we won’t know if Jones is a go until they release the injury reports prior to the game on the day of.

What Are Green Bay’s Options if Jones Misses Time?

If Jones is unable to go on Sunday, it will once again be the AJ Dillon show against a Saints run defense that has only allowed just over 200 yards total so far in 2023 and zero TDs.

In Week 2, New Orleans held Miles Sanders to 43 yards on the ground on 14 attempts. Behind Dillon, Green Bay has Patrick Taylor and Emmanuel Wilson. In two full games, these three players have accumulated 127 yards and zero touchdowns.

What Does This Mean for Jones’ Fantasy Ranking?

Jones is currently the RB19 in our PFN Consensus Rankings. With a questionable tag and the injury being the hamstring, lowering him a couple of spots is understandable.

We have learned how tricky hamstrings can be, and even if Jones feels good to go Sunday, something could easily be tweaked during his warmup. However, considering the amount of running backs unable to play due to injury, if Jones plays on Sunday, you should start him.

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NFL Fans Roast Chicago Bears as Reports Surface of $100,000 Theft

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3 hours ago

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September 23, 2023

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The Chicago Bears have had a doozy of a start to their 2023 season.

The team began the year 0-2, losing both games by double digits. Quarterback Justin Fields has been disappointing to begin his third pro season, notching a meager 70.7 passer rating and averaging just 31 rush yards per game. When asked to explain his subpar play, he was quick to critique his coaching staff.

Then defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned abruptly, citing “personal issues.” Soon thereafter it came to light (per The New York Post) that law enforcement raided Williams’ home and Bears HQ at Halas Hall in “connection with an undisclosed incident.”

That’s enough headaches for most franchises to begin a season, but the Bears wound up in yet another bizarre headline today.

$100,000 Worth of Equipment Stolen From Soldier Field

The Bears had a large amount of expensive equipment burglarized from their home stadium, Soldier Field, overnight Wednesday into Thursday. Luca Serra, director of marketing and public relations at Soldier Field, confirmed that bizarre headline to ESPN.

MORE: PFN Life — Off-the-Field Content

The equipment taken was not of the football variety, the Bears should still have shoulder pads and helmets ready to go for their Sunday clash at Arrowhead with the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead, a number of ride-along mowers and John Deere Gator utility vehicles were nabbed from Chicago’s home field.

Much in this bizarre story remains unclear. For instance, did the actors have a trailer or at least a couple of flatbeds to stow their coupe in (or on)? Or did they ride away on the motorized horses they captured? And Soldier Field isn’t exactly secluded. How did these thieves manage to go undetected in the heart of a bustling metropolis like Chicago?

The actors ripped down a protective fence to get after the equipment they coveted. And as noted above, the thieves got away with six figures worth of lawn care equipment. If there’s any leads as to the actor’s whereabouts, they’ve not been released to the public. Speaking of the public, they’ve expectedly had a field day with the Bears’ multitude of misfortunes.

Chicago will now attempt to refocus and, ahem, bear down in hopes of getting back on the right track ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the … Kansas City Chiefs. That is the undefeated, reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs; quarterbacked by a young man in Patrick Mahomes who the Bears once famously passed on in the 2017 NFL Draft.

That old adage about rainfall portending heavier rainfall rings especially true in Chicago right about now.





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