Chicago Bears 2022 season review: Grading the offense

Chicago Bears 2022 review: Offensive line

The offensive line for the Chicago Bears has taken its lumps both literally and figuratively for years. The line has struggled for a long time. Previous regimes failed to secure the right personnel.

Poles wanted to change that. With the 11 picks he acquired in this year’s draft, he picked four offensive linemen. Three of them are projects he hopes could help later, but he found an immediate starter in Braxton Jones.

Jones was a shine for the Bears this season. He played every snap this season, the only lineman to do so. He took his lumps at times, but he learned from his mistakes and kept improving. He could take the experience he got this year and become a cornerstone lineman for years to come.

The rest of the line had its ups and downs. Teven Jenkins had a roller coaster ride. He went from starting left tackle to right tackle, to third string, to starting right guard. He did a pretty good job there.

The problem with Jenkins is his health. Last season, he missed a big chunk of the season due to a back injury. This season, he had a number of different injuries that caused him to miss four games. He also missed big parts of other games. He could be a part of the future but he needs to show he could stay healthy.

Lucas Patrick was supposed to be a big part of the unit. However, he suffered through an injury-plagued season. He got injured on the second day of training camp and it just continued from there. He ended up playing in just seven games. Hopefully, he comes back stronger and healthier and does what Poles expected when he signed him.

The rest of the unit just wasn’t good enough. While the unit as a whole did a great job of run blocking, the pass blocking was bad.

Some people point out that Fields held onto the ball too long, but a lot of times he was trying to buy time for the wide receivers to get open. There were many more times in which Fields dropped back and the line was just overwhelmed.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wanted to have Fields feel more comfortable dropping back in the pocket. However, whenever he did that, the line just couldn’t protect him.

The offensive line will be a priority for Poles this offseason. Without a good offensive line, Fields cannot improve his passing. Grade: D