The Bears relied on rookies like no other team during the 2022 season, and head coach Matt Eberflus says that’s going to pay off in 2023.
Eberflus said the time when players improve the most is between their rookie seasons and their second years, and that’s very good news for the team that gave rookies the most playing time of any team in the NFL.
“It’s been my experience that second-year players make the biggest jump,” Eberflus told the Chicago Tribune. “The rookies we played a ton last year, those guys are expected to take a big leap because of that experience piece. We had the most rookie snaps by anybody by a thousand last year. So we’re expecting to see a big jump from those guys.”
Among the second-year players the Bears are expecting the most of this season are left tackle Braxton Jones, defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, linebacker Jack Sanborn, defensive lineman Dominique Robinson and wide receiver Velus Jones. If Eberflus is right that players make their biggest jumps in Year Two, the Bears should have plenty of young players playing at a high level this season.