Chicago Bears see ‘decline in play’ from 2023 1st-round pick

One of the biggest areas of emphasis of the Chicago Bears’ offseason was improving their offseason line. After allowing Caleb Williams to get sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie, the Bears took an aggressive approach to fix the issue.

Chicago traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. While left tackle was still a question mark, the Bears looked extremely improved across their offensive line. Especially with Darnell Wright locked in at right tackle.

However, Wright’s recent play has drawn some questions from offensive line coach Dan Roushar. The Bears are still counting on him as their right tackle. But Roushar knows Wright must improve his play for Chicago’s offense to be successful, via Kaitlin Sharkey of WGNTV.

“A little bit too inconsistent,” Roushar said. “There’s moments when we look at it, when he loses focus or fatigue starts to set in, we see a decline in play, but when he’s on point, I’ve seen Darnell do some things that you get excited about.”

“He’s just not been able to stack it play after play after play, which isn’t uncommon for a young player,” he continued. “There are moments where I’ve seen the growth…is it as fast as I want it or he wants it to be? No. My job is to inspire & get him there and understand exactly what we’re doing and challenge him when it’s not right.”