Chicago Bears: Nick Kwiatkoski is the next man up

With the Chicago Bears placing Jerrell Freeman on injured reserve, Nick Kwiatkoski gets thrusted into the spotlight whether he’s ready or not.

With Jerrell Freeman being placed on injured reserve, the Chicago Bears have a massive hole right in the middle of their defense. Freeman led the team in tackles in 2016, and in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, the veteran inside linebacker paced the Bears again with 10.

It’s not just one injury Freeman’s battling, but instead, two — a concussion and a pectoral injury. By being placed on injured reserve, Freeman cannot return until Week 10 the earliest, and by that point, the Bears may just decide to shut him down.

Filling in for Freeman will be Nick Kwiatkoski, a second-year player who has flashed in his limited playing time. Coming into training camp, it was widely expected that Kwiatkoski would start the season filling in for Danny Trevathan, who was still battling a knee injury at the time. However, with Trevathan being a fast healer, Kwiatkoski was relegated to a special teams role in Week 1, although he did give Freeman and Trevathan a breather for a few snaps on defense.

More from Chicago Bears

• Chicago Bears HC Matt Eberflus speaks on a number of team issues
• Roschon Johnson showing he can be Chicago Bears RB1
• Lingering free agent could be an absolute godsend for Chicago Bears
• Chicago Bears: Should Tyson Bagent be the backup quarterback?
• Chicago Bears: 3 replacements if Justin Fields isn’t the answer

Kwiatkoski started seven games his rookie year, compiling 44 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble. He, as expected, experienced his fair share of ups and downs, earning a below average grade of just 54.8 from Pro Football Focus Edge. While his coverage skills are still a work in progress (45.7 grade), Kwiatkoski is solid against the run, oftentimes exploding into offensive lineman and quickly shedding their attempted block.

Kwiatkoski had a great collegiate career at West Virginia, totaling 28 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and three forced fumbles. As a senior, he was a named to the first-team All-Big 12, and he had a solid showing at the 2016 Scouting Combine, which led the Bears to picking him in the fourth-round.

The coaching staff seems to believe in him, and that’s a good thing since Kwiatkoski will likely be a starter for the rest of the year. He very well might be the future at inside linebacker, although he’s being thrown into the fire sooner than the Bears would prefer. However, Kwiatkoski will be surrounded by more talented players than he was in his seven starts last season, and he shouldn’t be a liability out there.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Defense shakes up early picks

The Bears have made a concerted effort to get younger over the past few years, and Kwiatkoski fits into their plans. He’ll likely get 15 starts to prove himself and show the team that he can be a building block for years to come. John Fox preaches “next man up”, and for Kwiatkoski, his time has arrived.