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The Chicago Bears are hoping for a bounce-back season in 2022 after a disappointing go of things last year. With Justin Fields set to enter Year 2, fans are expecting to see significant strides from the former first-round pick. But he's not the only player with lofty expectations heading into the 2022 campaign. If Chicago wants to rival the Packers for an NFC North title, they'll need several players to step up and have breakout seasons.
The Bears have a handful of young players on both sides of the ball who figure to see an increased role in 2022. Those players will need to capitalize on the newfound opportunity they'll receive in Chicago. Helping Fields realize his potential will be a critical goal for the Bears this year, and in order to do so, they'll need to see improvements from the entire team. With that in mind, here are three potential breakout players for the Bears in the 2022 NFL season.
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Bears Breakout Players for 2022 NFL Season
The Chicago Bears running back had an impressive rookie season, on which he'll look to build upon in 2022. Still stuck behind David Montgomery on the depth chart, Herbert could see more playing opportunity on the field this season, dependent on how the Bears feel about Montgomery going forward. Monty's rookie contract is set to expire after this season, so the Bears may want to lean more heavily upon Herbert if they don't feel confident about signing Montgomery to an extension.
While Herbert averaged a pedestrian 4.2 yards per carry in 2021, he showcased his talents while filling in for Montgomery while he was injured last year. From Week 5 through Week 8, Herbert recorded more than 70 rushing yards in four consecutive games. He rushed 78 times for 344 yards and 1 touchdown in that span while catching 9 receptions for 44 yards. He stands to see an increase in opportunity this season and a big season from the former sixth-round pick could be just what this offense needs.
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2. Teven Jenkins
A back injury limited Jenkins to just six games in his rookie season, but the former second-round pick, who had a first-round pedigree, will be healthy entering his second NFL season. Jenkins will play a crucial role in Chicago's offensive line next year, especially considering the team didn't make any big acquisitions at the position in the offseason. In fact, it can be argued that the Bears actually got worse in the trenches during the offseason, which certainly doesn't bode well for Justin Fields.
Jenkins will look to get off the ground running this coming season and make up for lost time. His injury last season was a big blow for the team, but now that he's back to full strength, he'll hope to make good on the analysis that had him heralded as a top player in the 2021 NFL Draft. He can make life a lot easier for the offense if he plays up to his potential and will have the chance to get decent run in 2022.
1. Justin Fields
Who else would take the top spot for the Bears? Justin Fields is undoubtedly the most important player to Chicago's success in 2022, and if the Bears are to make any sort of push for the playoffs, they'll need to see a vastly improved Fields in 2022. Last year, to little fault of his own, was pretty disappointing from a statistical standpoint. While Fields showed on-field flashes of greatness, he also looked out of his league at times. In all, he started 10 games, throwing 7 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, while rushing 72 times for 420 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Now with some new faces in town in the form of Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pring, as well as an already-established connection with Darnell Mooney, Fields will look to find success with the new weapons the Bears brought in for him in the offseason. If he develops a strong rapport with his wideouts early on, he could parlay that into a breakout campaign.
