Lake Forest, Illinois (AP) On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears announced that veteran receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter had signed a one-year contract.
Carter, 31, has 108 receptions for 1,259 yards and six touchdowns in six seasons with Philadelphia (2018), Houston (2018-20), Chicago (2020), Washington (2021), Los Angeles Chargers (2022), and Las Vegas Raiders (2023). He has an average of 9.8 yards on punt returns and 22.4 yards with one touchdown on kickoff returns.
Carter might be Chicago’s punt returner, but Dante Pettis and Tyler Scott are other options. Trent Taylor joined San Francisco after averaging 8.2 yards per return for the Bears last season. Carter will likely trail Velus Jones Jr. on kickoff returns as training camp begins.
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Caleb Williams’ rookie season puts a lot of pressure on the Chicago Bears
Finally, with the promise of a potential franchise quarterback in place, after drafting Caleb Williams first overall and pairing him with ninth-round pick Rome Odunze, Chicago has the pieces in place to field one of the most productive offenses in the league.
Similarly, the Bears’ defensive quality has steadily improved in recent seasons, and they appear to have the pieces in place to make at least a run at the NFC Wild Card.
Given how general manager Ryan Poles has handled the draft board over the last two seasons, as well as Williams’ arrival, is this a postseason or bust season for the Bears and everyone else in Chicago?
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus compiled a list of the seven NFL teams facing the most pressure this season, which included Williams and the Bears.
“At the core is No. 1 overall choice Caleb Williams, whose 6.2% big-time throw rate in 2023 ranks fourth among quarterbacks with 400 or more dropbacks. His 82.6 rushing grade ranked sixth among non-running backs with at least 50 carries. Williams will need to get the ball out quicker in structure (his 3.16-second average throw time led the FBS), but he has the potential to be a great freshman.
“Head coach Matt Eberflus’ seat was warm until he won three of the final five games in 2023, aided by a defense that ranked eighth in EPA per play during that time. Similarly, the team’s two road defeats, to the playoff-bound Browns and Packers, were by no more than eight points.
There is always a temptation to be lenient and patient with a coaching staff tasked with developing a rookie quarterback, especially one selected first overall in the NFL Draft.
However, given that Eberflus narrowly avoided being fired last summer, prior to the Bears drafting Williams, and his staff’s failure to maximize former first-round choice Justin Fields, it’s easy to see why Chicago’s head coach would face substantial criticism in 2024.
The Bears clearly have the components to make a postseason run, but the pressure will most likely be on Eberflus, who may need a strong season to prove he’s the proper coach to guide Williams’ development and the Bears’ title ambitions in the future.
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