Chicago Bears Depth Chart
- NFC North
- Stadium
- Soldier Field
- Head Coach
- Matt Eberflus
- Offensive Coordinator
- Luke Getsy
- Defensive Coordinator
- Alan Williams
- Special Teams Coach
- Richard Hightower
- Defensive Scheme
- 4-3
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he won't make quarterback Justin Fields robotic as a pocket passer. The Bears are obviously focused on improving Fields as a passer in 2023, but they aren't interested in limiting his rushing abilities after he led all QBs with 1,143 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games last year. Fantasy managers may not want to expect gaudy rushing totals like that moving forward, but scrambling and improvising should continue to be part of the 24-year-old's game, which is excellent news for his rising fantasy stock as a midrange QB1 with upside for more. If Fields masters Chicago's offense and improves as a passer with added aerial weapons, he could finish the 2023 season as a high-end QB1.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool is reportedly in a better place with the offense, according to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. In early February, Getsy said he sees a chance for Claypool to see "a lot of opportunities" this season. However, that was before the Bears traded for wide receiver D.J. Moore. Despite that, Claypool should still be able to carve out a decent role in Chicago. The Bears gave up a second-round pick for Claypool, so he's expected to have a significant part on the team. It sounds like the 24-year-old is becoming more comfortable with his new team. His fantasy value seems bleak, but he could end up being a sleeper option heading into next season. Claypool did well during his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, so hopefully he can carry that over into Chicago.
Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson (foot) recently returned to practice in OTAs. The two-time Pro Bowl safety suffered a Lisfranc injury near the end of November. Jackson appears to be in good shape and has been limited individual drills early in the week. It sounds like Jackson is heading in the right direction and he should be ready to go by training camp. Last season, Jackson recorded 80 tackles, six passes defended, and four interceptions in 12 games with the Bears. The stud safety is a big part of the Bears secondary, so hopefully he'll be healthy heading into the season.
Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert has the early lead for the RB1 role in Chicago in 2023 now that David Montgomery is in Detroit. Herbert sits atop the RB depth chart after a standout second season in the NFL in which he led all rushers with 5.7 yards per carry. The 25-year-old has been taking the first-team repetitions during organized team activities, but he'll face competition in training camp from D'Onta Foreman, Travis Homer, Trestan Ebner and fourth-round rookie Roschon Johnson. "No one has earned a seat in that room yet, and they're all going to earn their seats from what we do now until August whatever, whenever that third preseason game is," running backs coach David Walker said. Even if Herbert wins the RB1 job in training camp, he's not going to be a three-down back in this offense, and the presence of quarterback Justin Fields will also hurt his overall fantasy upside.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (ankle) suffered a broken ankle in the Week 12 game against the New York Jets, effectively ending his 2022 season. The Tulane product finished the year with 40 receptions for 493 yards and two touchdowns. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said "Darnell is working his tail off. He's on track. He'll be ready (for training camp)." This is great news for his early-season availability, and he'll be moved to a more natural WR2 role in 2023 with the arrival of DJ Moore. The Bears are expected to take a step forward on offense, so Mooney could have boom weeks. That said, the team will still likely have one of the most run-heavy offensive attacks, so there's a good chance he's not a weekly producer. His best fantasy value will likely be in best-ball formats.
