3 Chicago Bears who have to take the next step this season

Bears that need to take the next step: 2. Trevis Gipson

The Bears’ pass rush was truly anemic in 2022. No individual notched over four sacks on the entire campaign. Chicago higher-ups hope that bringing in DeMarcus Walker in free agency can help their pressure efforts, but he isn’t going to suddenly emerge as a superstar during his age-28 season.

That’s why Trevis Gipson’s play on the other side of the formation is so important for the Chicago defense. He’s got to find a way to emerge as a quality edge rusher if this defense is going to even become a league-average unit. A repeat of his three-sack performance from 2022 would be a major failure for the former Tulsa standout.

In a perfect world, Gipson would develop into a rusher capable of flirting with double-digit sacks on an annual basis. At the very least, he needs to find a way to occupy more blocks from his defensive end position to free up the linebackers behind him to make plays.

Either way, Gipson needs to develop into more of a playmaker to justify the number of snaps he’s projected to receive. If he puts together another weak season he’s going to find himself on the street next offseason. Even if he improves, look for the Bears to try to add edge-rushing talent through next year’s draft to fortify their pass rush.