Chicago Bears X-Factor: Linebacker Jerrell Freeman

Since the retirement of Brian Urlacher, the Chicago Bears have suffered through a subpar linebacker core. Not anymore thanks to Jerrell Freeman

The Chicago Bears have not had an explosive linebacker core since Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs were on the roster. Attempts to morph Shea McClellin from a defensive end into a linebacker did not work. As a matter of fact, the experiment caused the defense to lose its persona, per se. But a tackling machine showed up on free agency and the Bears couldn’t pass him up. Jerrell Freeman has become the X-Factor of the Bears defense.

As a matter of fact, the experiment caused the defense to lose its persona, per se. But a tackling machine showed up on free agency and the Bears couldn’t pass him up. Jerrell Freeman has become the X-Factor of the Bears defense.

Once Urlacher left in 2013, the Bears have attempted to fill that position but could not find the spark that would ignite the middle linebacker position.

It appears that they have in both Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan. But it was Freeman who stood out in the loss against the Houston Texans. Freeman had a combined total of 17 tackles, while Trevathan had a total of 11 sacks. The highest combined from the Texans was from outside linebacker John Simon who recorded a total of 11 tackles.

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No matter how much the game was dissected on what was missing in the loss, Freeman commanded the defense that day and was prepared to come out swinging. Freeman is a seasoned player. After spending four years with the Indianapolis Colts, he had a career total of 478 tackles, 12 sacks, and 4 interceptions, one of those from Jay Cutler in his first week against the Bears, returning it for a touchdown.

However, the Colts chose not to extend his contract and he became a free agent in 2016. In the game against the Texans, Freeman played as if he has always worn the Navy and Orange jersey. He recognized screen plays as they were about to happen and didn’t fail to react with aggression on situational plays. There is something about Freeman wearing a Chicago Bears uniform. The fact that he wears number 50 means something. Former Bears Charles “Peanut” Tillman described it this way in a recent podcast interview with Da Bears Brothers podcast:

“The Bears specifically is history. Halas was one of the forefathers of the NFL. He started it and to wear the George, the GSH, George Stanley Halas is like, to wear that on your shoulder, on your sleeve, it means something. And I don’t know if the new Bears realize that, but it means something to be a Bear, a Chicago Bear.”

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If you are a Bear fan, wearing the number 50 has a sense of pride attached to it. Bears great Mike Singletary wore it with the utmost pride and it clearly didn’t hold the same juice when it was worn by former Bear, now New England Patriot Shea McClellin. One has to be a student of the game and Freeman is just that kind of Bear. When he walked out on that field against the Texans, he stood tall wearing No. 50 and he proved it on the field. Singletary’s all-time best was 10 tackles and 10 assists. Freeman made nine tackles and had eight assists.

There is no doubt that Freeman has the X-Factor as the middle linebacker for the Bears. This may be the year that the Bears defense makes it to the top ten defenses in the league.

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