Top 25 most important Bears in 2023: No. 23 Cody Whitehair

Shaw Local is counting down the top 25 most important Bears for the 2023 season.

What makes one player more important than another? That’s subjective, of course. But for our purposes it comes down to this: Are the Bears worse off if this player can’t play? Does this player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?

The best player on the team isn’t always the most important, but he certainly can be. We will profile one player every day between now and the start of training camp.

No. 23 Cody Whitehair

Position: Center/guard

NFL experience: Eighth season

Last year’s ranking: No. 21

Looking back: A year ago, when general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus took over their positions with the Bears, interior lineman Cody Whitehair was one of the few veterans the Bears kept on the roster. They traded Khalil Mack and let the likes of Danny Trevathan, Allen Robinson and Akiem Hicks leave via free agency. Whitehair, however, remained. At least part of the reason was because the team previously awarded him a massive contract extension in September 2019. The deal keeps him under contract through 2024. But it was also because of his leadership. Whitehair was voted a captain last year.

Whitehair has been a mainstay in the Bears’ starting lineup on the offensive line. He has played guard and center at various times since the Bears drafted him with a second-round pick in 2016. He was a Pro Bowl center in 2018, but has spent a lot of time at left guard in the years since.

Last season, Whitehair missed five games due a knee injury midway through the season. In all, he has appeared in 107 games over seven seasons.

Looking forward: Another position switch is already in the works. After two and a half seasons playing primarily at left guard, Whitehair is transitioning back to center. The Bears drafted a right tackle in Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick and signed veteran guard Nate Davis in free agency. To make room, the Bears are shifting Whitehair to center and relegating Lucas Patrick, who they signed last year to play center, to a backup role.

Whitehair has played some of his best football at center, including his Pro Bowl season in 2018. This should be a transition that works smoothly. He’s a smart, capable leader who should continue to be an asset on the offensive line, particularly with a young quarterback. Keeping him healthy is going to be key. The knee injury last season was a setback, but kept him out for only about a month. The concern, however, is that Whitehair is now the oldest player among the five starters on the offensive line and has more miles on his legs than any of his cohorts.

The Bears offensive line should be much improved, but a lot hinges on Whitehair being the rock solid center he was a couple of years ago.

In case you missed it: Previous installments of the top 25

• No. 25: Robert Tonyan.
• No. 24 Roschon Johnson.