Chicago Bears: Cody Whitehair a team player doing everything asked of him

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Cody Whitehair displays the attitude that exudes from this team — he does what is asked of him without complaint and to the best of his ability.

When people talk about the 2018 Chicago Bears, they usually comment on how together the team was — players genuinely liked each other and did whatever the team asked from them without complaint. This season, the same continues.

Offensive lineman Cody Whitehair is the epitome of that attitude. He came to the Bears as a hard-working kid. He’s been all that and more for the team.

In the four seasons in Chicago, Whitehair started out as a guard. Due to injuries, the Bears asked him to move over to center. He did it and played well. The next season, because of injuries again, he played center, left guard, and right guard. Last season, he stayed at center and ended up with a Pro Bowl berth.

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In 2019, again, the Bears had Whitehair move over to guard. This time, though, it wasn’t because of injury. The Bears feel second-year lineman James Daniels is better at his natural center position. The team didn’t want to give Daniels too much by having him do all the signal-calling that the center does. They wanted to ease the rookie in. They feel now that Daniels can handle the rigors of being a center, so Whitehair takes his Pro Bowl berth to guard.

Whitehair does all of this without any hint of disagreement. He’s here to help the team and whatever they ask he’ll comply, per 670 The Score:

"Whatever helps the team. I’ve always been a team guy. Whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s what I’m going to do."

Whitehair is the type of player who comes to work, does his job and goes home. He hasn’t missed a game in his three seasons with the Bears. Of course, it helps that Whitehair is entering the last year of his contract. If he has another good year at guard, he’s looking at a bigger contract than as a center. As well as he’s handled everything so far, the Bears could decide to sign him early this season and not let him hit free agency.

It’s great to have players like Whitehair do what they’re doing. He gives the Bears’ line some flexibility and makes it better than last season. Daniels is a natural center so going back there automatically makes him better. He did a pretty good job coming in and playing a new position as a rookie. Now, however, he is where he’s been for most of his football life.

Whitehair still has his mind on center, though. He’ll talk to Daniels about what calls to make and when to make them so Daniels can become the best player he can.

Whitehair’s teammates notice the job he’s doing as well. Kyle Long, the three-time Pro Bowl lineman and one of the undisputed leaders on the team, spoke on Whitehair, per WBBM 780:

"He’s a professional. He’s such a tough guy. I played with a guy named Matt Slauson here for a while. A lot of the same qualities that I really looked up to with Matt, I can see in Cody. Blue-collar. I mean, that phrase is thrown around a lot, but Cody really embodies it."

With everything Whitehair has done with the Bears, I see the team rewarding him soon. They waited until after last season to reward Bobby Massie, but he had something to prove after a couple of so-so seasons they needed back-to-back solid seasons out of him before they extended him and he gave it to them.

Whitehair has already shown his value to the team so his reward should be on its way. If the Bears wait until the end of the season the price may go up.