No matter how much football changes, one thing remains: NFL games are won in the trenches. A team that can't protect its quarterback has no chance of winning, no matter how good that quarterback is. Just ask Patrick Mahomes after that Super Bowl LV loss.
In recent years, the Chicago Bears have fielded an unacceptably bad offensive line. Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields had plenty of flaws, but the onslaught he faced every game was brutal.
In 2023, however, that offensive line seemed to be turning a corner. In a division with some of the best offensive lines in the NFL, will the Bears be able to hold their own in 2024? Let's take a look.
Note: Each team's starting offensive line will be based on ESPN's depth charts.
Detroit Lions
Earlier this month, the Lions gave standout Right Tackle Penei Sewell a contract extension worth $112 million; he has earned every penny of it. He forms an elite bookend tackle duo with Taylor Decker. On the interior, the Lions are led by Frank Ragnow, one of the very best Centers in the league.
Graham Glasgow is a stud in the interior when healthy, and he will be joined by Kevin Zeitler from Baltimore.
Minnesota Vikings
Like the Lions, the Vikings are again fielding a pair of highly graded bookend tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. Unfortunately for Minnesota, their comparisons to Detroit's offensive line end there.
After a disastrous rookie campaign, Right Guard Ed Ingram had a slightly better season in 2023. We'll see if that upward trajectory continues in 2024. Blake Brendal has hardly played since he was a 6th-round pick in 2020, and now he appears slated for a starting role while Garrett Bradburry returns as Minnesota's starting Center. A first-round pick in 2019, Bradburry has been inconsistent at best so far.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers have officially moved on from standout Left Tackle David Bahktiari this offseason, leaving Rasheed Walker as the official starter after filling in for Bahktiari in 2023. Walker has so far vastly outplayed his seventh-round draft status. It will be interesting to see whether he's already peaked or if 2023 was just the beginning.
Elgton Jenkins remains one of the best guards in the NFL, and his hefty contract extension last year will tie him to Green Bay for years to come. Josh Myers, meanwhile, has been a major disappointment since he was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL Draft. A replacement may not be far off.
Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom look to be the starters on the right side of the line, but first-round rookie Jordan Morgan is likely to poach one of those spots. Rhyan is entering his third year but has hardly played, while Tom has flashed Pro Bowl potential.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are bringing back their pair of bookend tackles into the 2024 season as the careers of Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright continue to ascend. GM Ryan Poles gave Jones a tremendous vote of confidence when he passed on some elite Left Tackle prospects in this year's draft. Jones will be expected to prove they were right in trusting him.
The interior of the offensive line is where Chicago had most of their trouble, but a lot of that was due to injuries. Tevin Jenkins is an elite guard when healthy, and Nate Davis holds his own on the right side. Center was the weak point of the line in 2023, and the Bears have thrown two veteran options at it: Ryan Bates, whom they acquired from Buffalo in a trade, and Coleman Shelton, a free agent who spent the last five years with the Rams.
Right now, Shelton is listed as the starter, but that could change quickly once training camp starts. By all accounts, the Bears love Bates, and I imagine he will get plenty of chances to prove he should be rookie Caleb William's starting Center.
Despite improvement, Chicago Bears OL ranks at bottom of NFC North
The Lions have done a tremendous job building a wall of protection in front of quarterback Jared Goff. Detroit's offensive line is by far the best in the NFC North and arguably the best in the entire league. The Packers come in second with a good mixture of experienced veterans and promising youngsters in the trenches with plenty of depth.
The Vikings and Bears are neck and neck for third place. Both teams feature strong bookend tackles but have question marks on the interior. I will give Minnesota a slight edge due to Chicago's injury troubles with their guards.
So Chicago's OL may be the division's worst, but the NFC North has assembled some of the best pass protection in the league. The worst in this division could be the best in another. If Jenkins and Davis stay healthy and either Bates or Shelton lock down the Center position, the Bears could end up well into the league's Top 10 offensive lines.