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Nate Davis and the Bears Offensive Line Concerns

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net
By Quinten Krzysko | Last updated Aug 11, 2024 1:07 PM ET

The Chicago Bears signed offensive guard Nate Davis to a 3-year, $30 million contract last off-season. Last year, Davis struggled to find his footing on the field and missed 6 games with a high ankle sprain. Entering year two with the Bears, Davis has continued to have availability issues throughout training camp. The Bears paid Davis to be a reliable starter on their offensive line, but the questions about whether he is up to the task are mounting.

Nate Davis' Training Camp History

In his 5-year NFL career, Nate Davis has never taken a pre-season snap. That is quite the feat for a player drafted in the 3rd round. Davis' routine and health maintenance were in question before arriving in Chicago. Especially when it came to the offseason and showing up to training camp in shape.

Last year, writing off the training camp issues and poor performances was easy due to circumstances out of the player's control. But this season is essentially a contract year for Davis. He will likely be released entering the 2025 season if his play cannot match his contract. I can't imagine that missing large portions of practice time and allowing perceived backups to sneak into the starting conversation is the way most players want their contract years to go.

Nate Davis suffered a setback early this week and is now considered week-to-week in his return, Matt Eberflus said. It's a soft-tissue injury, though the Bears have not provided further specifics.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) August 8, 2024

Just one week after being called out by head coach Matt Eberflus, Davis is dealing with a setback. Now is the point in the preseason where public practices dwindle and more playbook-specific activities ramp up. It is the more important stretch of team activities, and having the starting offensive line locked in matters. Especially when Davis' status impacts who could be snapping the football for a rookie quarterback.

Bears Offensive Line Outlook

At this point, I don't expect Nate Davis to be the week one starter unless he gets back on the practice field soon. Especially because Davis has historically been underwhelming in pass protection despite being a quality run blocker. Assuming he doesn't get back on the field soon, the Bears starting offensive line would look like this:

The Bears are not at full strength on the offensive line at the moment. At all.

Wright has missed three straight practices. Jenkins came out today. Nate is out and in and out again.

With just six days until Preseason 2 in Buffalo, will that impact the hoped-for action plan for…
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) August 4, 2024

Making matters more complicated is the status of right tackle Darnell Wright. As a rookie, Wright impressed while playing through a significant shoulder injury. To this point, he has struggled to win camp reps consistently. There has been some speculation about an injury, but nothing concrete has been reported. If there is a time to rehab an injury, it is now. However, if it needs more than a little rehab, the Bears offensive line could get murky quickly especially if you add in the constant health concern of Teven Jenkins.