Justin Fields and 2 more surprising Bears who will leave this offseason

2. Cody Whitehair's poor play should cost him Bears roster spot

It's hard for a modern NFL offense to be successful when it's constantly facing interior pressure. That's precisely why Cody Whitehair's poor play was so damaging to the Chicago offense throughout their inconsistent 2023 season.

His PFF average of just 45.0 on the year accurately illustrates just how much he struggled as both a pass and run blocker. He forced Justin Fields to run for his life on numerous snaps. He also failed to generate any interior push for the team's interior rushing attack.

The veteran center still has one guaranteed year left on the deal he signed back before the 2019 season but Chicago can't afford to hand him meaningful snaps again next season. Cutting him and eating some dead cap is better than keeping him on the roster as one of the most overpaid backups in the NFL.

This is another sign of questionable decision-making by the Bears front office. Center is another relatively cheap position to fill for most teams. Whitehair was one of the best players in the NFL at his position at the time he signed his extension, but the deal aged poorly, in part, due to positional value. It's time for the team's front office to cut bait on Whitehair and give their offense more solid footing on the inside.