Bears Blitz

Published by Matt Eurich on October 20, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was in the starting lineup for the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon for the first time since Week 1, and the veteran receiver proved the Bears cannot afford to let him walk in free agency this offseason.

A calf injury sidelined Jeffery during parts of training camp and the entire preseason, but he suited up for the home opener against the Green Bay Packers.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jeffery played 60 of the team’s 77 snaps on offense, and he finished the game with five catches for 78 yards. He appeared to be laboring at times, but he put in a good effort when on the field.

“I feel pretty good,” said Jeffery after the game, per the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Adam Jahns. “The biggest thing is the more I play the better I feel and more confident and with the conditioning of the game, getting in football shape.”

Jeffery missed the team’s next four games with a hamstring injury, but a few young receivers stepped up in his absence. Third-year man Marquess Wilson took over Jeffery’s starting spot on offense and caught 13 passes for 175 yards with one touchdown between Week 2 and Week 5. Rookie Cameron Meredith also saw an increase in snaps, and he hauled in seven passes for 88 yards during that time.

Even though Wilson and Meredith stepped up in Jeffery’s absence, Chicago’s offense looked much different with the former South Carolina Gamecock in the lineup in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jeffery played 70 of Chicago’s 81 snaps on offense Sunday, and he finished the game with eight catches for 147 yards with one touchdown.

After the game, quarterback Jay Cutler talked about how nice it was to have his No. 1 wide receiver back.

“He’s just a difference-maker,” Cutler said, per Eli Kaberon of ChicagoBears.com. “You get Alshon over there and he makes you feel comfortable. You can throw the ball one-on-one and more times than not good things are going to happen.”

The Bears lacked a physical, vertical threat when Jeffery was out of the lineup, and running back Matt Forte acknowledged after Sunday’s game how important Jeffery is to Chicago’s offense.

“If you watch the game, just down the field, stretching the ball down the field, that down-the-field threat, we’ve been dinking and dunking a little bit when (Alshon) wasn’t in there,” Forte said, per Kaberon. “(Wilson) was able to stretch the field a little bit, too. But Alshon being in there, he was able to catch the ball down the field a lot and open up some of the other guys, too, in the passing game.” 

Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei also noted how Jeffery’s presence on the field changed the look of the Bears offense:

Chicago’s offense looked stale at times without Jeffery in the lineup because Cutler was forced to rely on Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett in the passing game. Both Wilson and Meredith flashed at times when Jeffery was out of the lineup, but neither receiver possesses the ability to open up a game with his size and speed like Jeffery does.

Head coach John Fox did not get many opportunities to watch Jeffery on the practice field this offseason because of Jeffery’s injuries, but he came away impressed with his No. 1 receiver’s performance Sunday.

“Same things I kinda knew about evaluating him from last year and the little bit we’ve seen in training camp and really the season opener,” Fox said on Monday, per the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Patrick Finley. “He’s got a great (catch) radius. He’s a good ball-getter in all instances. He’s got deceptive speed, and I think he showed that.”

Jeffery’s inability to stay on the field this season has been concerning, but he has proven to be one of the league’s best receivers when healthy. After breaking his hand in his rookie season and missing six games, Jeffery put up impressive back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014.

Jeffery benefited from playing alongside perennial Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall from 2012 to 2014, but the Bears traded Marshall to the New York Jets back in March. Jeffery has only played limited snaps this season, but he has proven in two games he is a viable No. 1 wide receiver.

With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Bears will have to make a decision on whether or not to keep him. The team did draft wide receiver Kevin White with the seventh overall pick in late April, but the former West Virginia Mountaineer has yet to play a snap this season.

White injured his shin during organized team activities (OTAs) during the offseason, and he was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list prior to the start of the season.

“White must miss the first six games this season since he’s on the physically unable to perform list,” wrote Jahns. “After that, he can practice up 21 days before Week 11. The Bears must make a decision whether to activate White before or when that 21-day period concludes.”

Since White is still such an unknown at this point, signing Jeffery to a long-term deal should be one of the team’s top priorities once the season concludes.

Denver‘s Demaryius Thomas and Dallas‘ Dez Bryant both signed five-year, $70 million contracts during the offseason, and their deals could be a blueprint for the Bears and Jeffery this upcoming offseason.

Jeffery’s calf and hamstring injuries this season have been frustrating, but he showed on Sunday afternoon just how important he is to Chicago’s offense. He has the ability to stretch the field because of his long stride, and he also possesses some of the best hands in the NFL. 

The Bears are likely in no rush to give him a new contract during the season, but Jeffery has proven in just two games this year that the team would be foolish to let him walk once his contract expires.

Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich.

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