Chicago Bears aren’t waving white flag despite trading away top defenders

In what might come as a shock to some, there were no white flags flapping in the wind while the Bears practiced Wednesday at Halas Hall.

Yes, defensive end Robert Quinn and his 102 career sacks are gone. So too is All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith.

But Matt Eberflus’ squad isn’t about to throw in the towel on the 2022 campaign and be OK with a 4-13 or 5-12 finish.

“A lot of guys on this team have families, and so when you say waving the white flag on the season, that’s almost like saying waving the white flag on your families,” said defensive Justin Jones, who replaced Smith as one of the four team captains. “You can’t do that, man. These guys are my family. I’m their family.

“And nobody is waving the white flag on anybody. We’re going to play just as hard as if they were with us.”

Eberflus, safety Eddie Jackson, tight end Cole Kmet, quarterback Justin Fields, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and wide receiver Darnell Mooney echoed similar thoughts Wednesday. Jackson expressed his appreciation for how general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus spoke to the Bears’ 13-man leadership group about the franchise’s direction.

Still, when asked for his initial reaction to the Smith trade, Jackson couldn’t help but be honest: “I couldn’t believe it. I was in disbelief. I was shocked. ... Thoughts kind of go through your head like, ‘What we playing for?’ Is their vision still the same as the players?’

“Like, we’re trying to make it to the Super Bowl, get to the playoffs. But I’m not upstairs. I get it. I understand it. But it just hits different.”

The challenge to stay competitive – especially defensively – got a lot harder over the past week, but it also opens an opportunity for others to step up.

That doesn’t always happen, such as Sunday in Dallas as defensive linemen such as Jones, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Trevis Gipson and Armon Watts were all nonfactors in a 49-29 loss.

Now the linebacking corps must replace Smith – a tall ask considering the choices consist of 31-year-old Joe Thomas, rookie Jack Sanborn and new addition A.J. Klein, who is 31 and was on the Giants’ practice squad until Oct. 5.

“We can do two things: Everybody can start thinking of [themselves] like, ‘I’m just gonna get mine,’” Jackson said. “Or we can come together like, ‘Look, man, this is what we’ve got. This is all we got.’

“We can go out here and we can prove everybody right, or we can prove everybody wrong. It’s all about how we react.

“We talk about resilience. Right now, it’s time to show true resilience for every man in this room.”

While the defense will be up against it from here on out – and especially Sunday against Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill – the offense ought to continue its ascension, thanks to Poles trading for Steelers wideout Chase Claypool.

The former second-round pick out of Notre Dame burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie by catching 62 passes for 873 yards and scoring 11 total TDs. He put up similar receiving numbers in 2021 but struggled this season as the Steelers transitioned from Ben Roethlisberger to Mitch Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Claypool also moved from the outside to the slot.

Now he’s got a fresh start and is looking forward to seeing how he fits in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s scheme.

“It could be super dynamic,” Claypool said when asked how his addition could help free up others such as Mooney. “We are different receivers in a good way. We do different things well. Obviously, I’ll know more when I practice with him more. But I think it’s going to open the offense up even more.”

Kmet, who played with Claypool at Notre Dame, agreed, saying, “It’s a great addition. You know, I’m biased. That’s my dude. So I’m excited to be on the field again with him for sure.”

Of course, Claypool needs to learn the playbook, so he may not make much of an impact for a while.

Now that another emotional day is behind them, we’ll see if the Bears can refocus and come together.

It seems possible, especially because they have leaders such as Jackson who aren’t afraid to speak up when they notice the vibe is off – as it was at practice Wednesday.

“It was like silence on the defense. I mean, like, quiet. You could hear a pin drop,” Jackson said. “I just went up there like, ‘Hey, let’s go, man! I know it’s sad, I know you feeling it right now, but now it’s time to rally around each other. Now it’s time to be grown men. Control what we can control – and that’s how we react to the situation.

“I feel like we’ve got the guys in the locker room that can do that.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20221102/why-despite-trading-away-top-defenders-bears-arent-waving-white-flag