The Chicago Bears have one of the more exciting seasons in franchise history coming up thanks to the presence of Justin Fields. Fields is entering his third year in the NFL, and the hype coming out of Bears training camp is unreal surrounding the expectations for his second year under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Not to mention, Bears GM Ryan Poles did an outstanding job building an offense around Fields this summer that should maximize Fields' talents after his first two years where he didn't have many guys to rely on. This all starts with the revitalized wide receiving corps that Poles built starting at the trade deadline last season. Poles acquired Chase Claypool midway through the 2022 campaign, and although Claypool didn't do much last year, a full offseason under his belt should have Claypool ready to produce in 2023. Poles didn't rest there, as he made one of the bigger acquisitions of the summer by making a trade for DJ Moore. Lastly, Poles drafted rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott who is turning heads at training camp. With Darnell Mooney and second-year pro Velus Jones Jr, the Bears suddenly have a deep receiving corps that leaves two players in particular in danger on the roster bubble. Both Dante Pettis and Equanimeous St. Brown need to shine during preseason in order to make the Bears regular season roster.
The Bears having depth at wide receiver is something that they have not had in a long time, and it is something that Justin Fields has never had. First off, having a weapon like DJ Moore should pay massive dividends for Fields and this offense after a year where they didn't have a star wideout. This will also make life a lot easier on Chase Claypool and Darnell Money, as well as freshly paid franchise tight end Cole Kmet. While Scott and Jones Jr look to blossom into solid weapons for the Bears to start their careers, Chicago also brought in veteran tight ends Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis as insurance. It is safe to say that Chicago has plenty of weapons for Fields to use at his disposal, and this really puts Dante Pettis and Equanimeous St. Brown in jeopardy. Their roster spots might be better off being given to offensive or defensive lineman given the priority of these positions, so if they don't have a big preseason, Pettis and St. Brown could find themselves being cut.
*Depth chart via ESPN
Equanimeous St. Brown
Equanimeous St. Brown had a pretty rough season for the Bears last year. He had some pretty severe drop issues throughout the season, and he never made a very strong case to be a major weapon for them this year. Not to mention, St. Brown has struggled to create separation pretty much throughout his career, and there isn't a primary facet of his game that stands out. At 26-years-old, there is better, younger talent in the Bears wide receiver room that are going to more likely than not earn opportunities over him. Additionally, the Bears will probably want to develop their younger guys alongside their young franchise QB instead of giving Brown an opportunity that he already wasted last year. It is pretty evident that Equanimeous St. Brown is on the roster bubble, and he needs to ball out for the Bears in preseason if he still wants to be on the team come the regular season.
Dante Pettis
Just like St. Brown, Dante Pettis is in a very precarious situation on the Bears wide receiver depth chart. Pettis has already bounced around a few teams in his NFL career so far, so he is no stranger to being on the roster bubble. Furthermore, he is like St. Brown in that he didn't inspire much confidence last season that he could be a major part of the Bears future. Although the Bears obviously want to find success this season, this year will also be a lot about building for years to come and giving opportunities to guys who could make a difference for the next three to four seasons. If Pettis does not have a massive preseason, the Bears could easily opt to let him free from the roster bubble and try his luck somewhere else in the NFL. It might not be what he wants to hear, but Dante Pettis is definitely in danger of being cut by the Chicago Bears.
Overall, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis have to be feeling the pressure as the Bears preseason opener is right around the corner. A few weeks from now, both of these guys might be trying to find different organizations to play for.
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