5 Chicago Bears to Watch in Final 10 Games of the Season

Sitting with a 2-4 record in Week 6 is not exactly where the Chicago Bears thought they would be at this point in the season, and while they still mathematically have a chance to make the playoffs, the Bears will be in evaluation mode in the final 10 games of the season. 

The Bears know they have building blocks in wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, tight end Martellus Bennett, outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and nose tackle Eddie Goldman, but many players will need strong finishes this season in order to be viewed as building blocks for the future. 

Who are five Chicago Bears to keep an eye on in the final 10 weeks of the season?

QB Jay Cutler

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Jay Cutler missed the second half of Chicago's Week 2 contest against the Arizona Cardinals and all of Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks with a hamstring injury, but when healthy, he has looked like a much different quarterback in offensive coordinator Adam Gase's scheme.

Cutler has completed 106 of his 174 passing attempts for 1,231 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He has also carried the football 14 times for 82 yards.

His numbers do not necessarily jump off the page, but he has looked comfortable during his pre-snap reads and has done an excellent job in the pocket. He has struggled throughout his career with his footwork, and while he still has a tendency to throw off his back foot at times, he has shown better awareness in the pocket.

Cutler is not afraid to tuck the football when the pressure gets too intense, but his ability to climb the ladder in the pocket or roll out of harm's way has made him look like the quarterback Bears fans thought they were getting when the team traded for the former Vanderbilt standout back in 2009.

The Bears signed Cutler to a seven-year, $126.7 million contract in 2014, and $10 million of his 2016 salary is guaranteed since he was on Chicago's roster on March 1 of this year.

Cutting Cutler after this season would not be ideal since the team is already committed to paying him $10 million next season, but the Bears could conceivably move on from the veteran quarterback this offseason if they think there are better options available via free agency and/or the draft.

If Cutler continues to perform in the final 10 games of the year like he has up to this point in the season, the Bears would likely be forced to keep him on the roster for at least the 2016 season.

SS Harold Jones-Quartey

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Safety Harold Jones-Quartey went undrafted this past May, but he quickly signed with the Arizona Cardinals after the draft ended. After spending all of training camp and the preseason with Arizona, he was waived before the start of the season.

The Bears signed the former University of Findlay standout before the start of the season, and he has been Chicago's starting strong safety since Week 5. He was prepared to be a contributor on special teams this year, but earlier in the season, he said he would be ready to play if he was needed.

“I’m ready to do whatever coach needs me to do [on special teams]. Eventually work my way up to the top,” he said, per ChicagoFootball.com's Arthur Arkush. “But it’s a business and I have to perform to stay here. So I’m excited to be here but also sort of anxious to get on the field to show them what I can do.”

Jones-Quartey was thrust into the starting lineup following an injury to veteran Antrel Rolle, and the young safety has recorded 10 tackles this season. He got caught out of position on a long completion to Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson near the end of Chicago's Week 6 loss in overtime, but Jones-Quartey has been a steady contributor since being placed into the starting lineup.

“The first thing is I like to think that the players around him helped,” said defensive backs coach Ed Donatell about Jones-Quartey, per ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson. “I think when you come into an environment where the chemistry is good around you it helps you get up to speed. But he’s focused and football is very, very important to him. He’s just grown a lot in two weeks.”

He has struggled a bit in pass coverage, but he has done a nice job playing downhill against the run. When Rolle is healthy, Jones-Quartey will likely head back to the bench, but if he continues to show progress when he is on the field, he can make a case for being on the roster next season.

DL Ziggy Hood

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Last week, the Bears released veteran defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff and signed veteran defensive lineman Ziggy Hood to a one-year deal. 

"We felt moving forward without Jeremiah was in the best interest of our team," general manager Ryan Pace said in a statement the team released last Wednesday, per Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. "We appreciate his contributions and wish him well."

Per Campbell and Wiederer's report, "Wednesday's fireworks began in Lake Forest when Bears officials judged that Ratliff arrived at team headquarters not in a condition to work, according to sources. When the team sent Ratliff home from the facility, an argument ensued."

Pace decided to let Ratliff go, and Hood—a former first-round pick—will get a chance to earn significant playing time in the coming weeks. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Hood with the 32nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, and he had five productive seasons with the Steelers before signing a four-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014.

In six NFL seasons, Hood has amassed 164 tackles, 12.5 sacks and seven pass deflections. He opened up the 2015 season on Jacksonville's injured reserve list and was cut by the team last week.

Hood has experience playing the 5-technique defensive end position in a 3-4 defense from his time spent with the Steelers, and the veteran lineman is stout against the run.

He has the ability to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks, and while it may take him some time to become a regular part of the rotation along the defensive line, Hood has a chance to earn a roster spot for 2016 if he can string together some solid performances in the final 10 games of the season.

DL Mitch Unrein

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Much like Hood, defensive lineman Mitch Unrein will now have a chance to earn a roster spot in 2016 following Ratliff's release.

Unrein went undrafted out of Wyoming in 2010, but he signed with the Houston Texans following the draft. He was released prior to the start of the season, but he signed with the Denver Broncos and was with the team from 2010 to 2014. He spent the first two games of this season with the San Diego Chargers before he was cut and signed by the Bears.

In his four seasons with the Broncos, Unrein recorded 49 tackles. He played for Bears head coach John Fox in Denver, and he was happy his former coach had a spot for him on the roster in Chicago.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out in San Diego, and I’m glad that I had a good relationship with Foxy and they thought highly of me," Unrein said after he was signed by the Bears, per Arkush. "Now I get another opportunity to keep the dream going and hopefully I can contribute right away."

He has appeared in Chicago's last four games and has recorded two tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, he has played 93 snaps for the Bears this season and has recorded a plus-0.7 grade against the run.

Unrein is not much of a pass-rusher, but he is a strong, physical lineman who does a great job of plugging up lanes in the running game. He has been used primarily this season as a 5-technique defensive end, but he has the size (6'4", 306 lbs) to play the nose tackle position.

He has a relentless motor, and he should see ample playing time at both defensive end and nose tackle now that Ratliff is no longer with the team. In addition to taking snaps along the defensive line, he is also athletic enough to play fullback in certain sub-packages.

When the Bears were down on the goal line in Week 6 against the Lions, Unrein surprisingly lined up in the backfield. 

"Whoa. DL Mitch Unrein was lined up at fullback," tweeted WGNRadio.com's Adam Hoge during the game.

Unrein won't become the team's primary fullback anytime soon, but he adds versatility to both sides of the football and will be a player to watch in the coming weeks.

RB Matt Forte

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Prior to Chicago's bye in Week 7, Matt Forte was the NFL's leading rusher with 507 yards. The veteran running back is in the final year of his contract, and his strong play may force the Bears to sign him to another contract this offseason.

In addition to carrying the football 126 times for 507 yards and two touchdowns, Forte has also hauled in 21 passes for 191 yards with one receiving touchdown. He is arguably the best all-around running back in the NFL, and he has shown no signs of slowing down despite the fact that he will turn 30 in December.

"That consistency…his ability, whether it be in the run game, passing game, pass protection—it's rare to find a guy who can do everything," said Gase about Forte, per Campbell.

Thirty is a taboo age for running backs since most typically have too much wear and tear on their bodies at that age to command a lucrative, long-term deal, but Forte looks like the same player he was when he entered the league in 2008.

Forte is currently on pace to carry the football 336 times this season—which would be a career high—but the Bears have rookie Jeremy Langford on the bench behind him waiting to get carries. Running backs coach Stan Drayton said, per ChicagoFootball.com's Nate Atkins:

"

It’s hard to take out a guy who makes plays for you and who’s in such good shape where you really don’t see a lull in his play in the course of the game. But we’ve definitely got to get Jeremy into the fold a lot more. There’s no doubt about it. For his development and for the longevity of Matt Forte, it’s the healthiest way to go about our business.

"

Even though the Bears used a fourth-round pick on Langford in May, the former Michigan State Spartan has carried the ball just 15 times this season for 34 yards with two touchdowns.

Forte is clearly the team's workhorse, but it will be interesting to see how hard the Bears ride him the rest of the season.

Seeing what Langford can do in this offense should be a priority, but if Forte continues to produce on a weekly basis, the Bears will have a tough time deciding whether to sign the soon-to-be 30-year-old running back to another contract in the offseason.

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

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

Follow @MattEurich.