5 Chicago Bears Making a Case for Extended Playing Time in 2016
After falling 24-21 to the Washington Redskins in Week 14, the Chicago Bears saw their already slim playoff chances take a big hit. The Bears have struggled all year long to get to .500 in the standings, and they will need to win out in order to finish 8-8 this season.
Since Chicago's playoff chances are all but gone, the team will continue to have an opportunity to look at some players in the coming weeks who were not expected to be major contributors this season.
While the team has been disappointing at times in 2015, some under-the-radar players have stood out because of their performances in recent weeks and could be fighting for more playing time next season.
Which players are making a strong case for extended playing time in 2016?
WR/KR Deonte Thompson
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Deonte Thompson went undrafted in 2012, but he signed with Baltimore immediately after the draft and spent parts of the last three seasons with the Ravens as a wide receiver and return man before signing with the Buffalo Bills in December 2014.
Thompson spent this past offseason with the Bills before he was released by the team with an injury settlement on September 11.
He returned 22 kickoffs between 2012 and 2013 for the Ravens for 590 yards, including 19 returns that went for 20 or more yards.
The Bears signed Thompson to the practice squad in late September, and he was elevated to the 53-man roster on November 10. He made his Bears debut against the Denver Broncos in Week 11 as the team's primary kick returner after former Pro Bowler Marc Mariani struggled to make an impact at the position.
Thompson returned two kickoffs for 54 yards in his debut before returning a kickoff for 37 yards in Chicago's surprise victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night.
After the game, the Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley noted the impact Thompson had against Green Bay.
"Lost today: Deonte Thompson's 37-yard kick return. Best spark that unit's had all year. Led to Jeremy Langford [touchdown]," tweeted Finley.
In Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers, Thompson returned a kickoff 74 yards late in the game that helped set up a potential game-winning field-goal attempt for Robbie Gould, but the veteran kicker missed the field goal.
On Sunday against the Redskins, Thompson had just one return for 16 yards, but he also hauled in his first catch since 2013. With the Bears trailing Washington 14-0 near the end of the first half, quarterback Jay Cutler found Thompson in the middle of the field for a 36-yard gain that helped set up a touchdown pass to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery two plays later.
As a return man, Thompson has given the Bears a spark since joining the team late last month, and he proved on Sunday he can make plays on offense when needed. He has great acceleration and good vision, and he has proven he can be a reliable kick returner.
RB Ka'Deem Carey
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A fourth-round selection of the Bears in 2014, Ka'Deem Carey was used sparingly in his first season in the NFL behind starting running back Matt Forte. He looked like a long shot to make the roster out of training camp after the team drafted Jeremy Langford in the fourth round and added veteran Jacquizz Rodgers in free agency, but he did enough in the preseason to keep a spot on the 53-man roster.
An injury ended Rodgers' season earlier in the year, and Carey moved into the No. 3 spot on the depth chart in Week 6 after Rodgers was placed on injured reserve with a broken arm.
Carey was used primarily on special teams before he started at running back in Week 9 against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. He carried the ball seven times for 28 yards and was a bruiser between the tackles. The following week, he gained 56 yards on 14 carries against the St. Louis Rams before picking up 32 yards on nine carries in Week 11 against Denver.
According to Pro Football Focus, he did not play a snap on offense against the Packers on Thanksgiving night, but he carried the ball five times for 17 yards in Week 13 against San Francisco. The majority of Carey's touches against the 49ers came late in the game with the Bears trailing, and he scored his first career touchdown that afternoon.
Carey needed to get past 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman to score his first touchdown, and he knew the moment he received the ball it was not going to be easy.
"Right there you have to man up," Carey said, per Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. "Once I saw him, the only thing in my head was 'Touchdown.' I'm certainly not going to let one man stop me from getting one last yard."
Carey had to sit patiently behind Forte last season and behind Langford this season for an opportunity, but he has proven in recent weeks he can pick up tough yards between the tackles. Even though he has been buried on the depth chart at times the last two seasons, he has had the right attitude.
"Come to work like this is everything to you," Carey said, per Wiederer. "Show the coaches that this means far more to you than just receiving a paycheck."
With Forte's contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Bears could be preparing to move on without the veteran running back in 2016. Langford has proven in his opportunities this season that he can handle the load as a feature back in the NFL, and Carey has shown he can provide a perfect complement to Langford's speed and explosiveness with his downhill running style.
LB Jonathan Anderson
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Jonathan Anderson began his collegiate career at TCU as a safety, but he transitioned to linebacker his junior season. He went undrafted earlier this year, and the Bears signed him once the draft concluded.
He impressed the coaching staff during training camp and the preseason and began the year on the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster before Chicago's Week 6 game against the Detroit Lions.
According to Pro Football Focus, he started at inside linebacker in place of the injured Shea McClellin, and he played 41 of the team's 81 snaps on defense. He finished his first NFL game with three tackles, one pass defended and one interception.
Anderson split snaps with LaRoy Reynolds in Week 6 against Detroit and again in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings before playing 71 of Chicago's 72 snaps against the Chargers, per Pro Football Focus.
On Monday Night Football against San Diego, Anderson finished the game with a career-high 12 tackles and was all over the field against both the pass and the run. He showed off his good closing speed on passes in the middle of the field, and he also showed off his solid tackling skills.
His snaps have decreased in recent weeks following the return of McClellin to the lineup, but he is an intriguing player. His speed is his best asset, but he tends to play a bit out of control at times. Anderson needs to work on his technique in pass coverage, but he is a good tackler who is not afraid to lay a hit on the ball-carrier.
A starting job may be hard to come by for Anderson next season if the Bears opt to upgrade the inside linebacker position via free agency and/or the draft, but he has done enough in limited opportunities this season to at least earn a chance to compete to be one of the team's two starting inside linebackers in Week 1 next season.
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CB Bryce Callahan
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Like Anderson, Bryce Callahan joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent this offseason, and he has established himself as the team's best nickelback in the last six games.
He appeared in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals but was cut two days later and eventually signed to the practice squad. Callahan rejoined the team's 53-man roster in Week 8 against Minnesota, and he solidified himself as the team's best option at nickelback before a quad injury forced him to miss Week 14 against Washington.
Callahan has played aggressively against both the run and the pass this season, and according to Pro Football Focus, he has registered a plus-2.7 overall grade in 275 snaps this season, including a plus-1.5 run grade.
Sherrick McManis won the nickelback job out of training camp over Callahan, Demontre Hurst and Jacoby Glenn, but he struggled out of the gate before the Bears opted to move Callahan into the lineup. The former Rice Owl still needs to improve his technique, but he has been one of the team's biggest surprises this season.
On Sunday without Callahan in the lineup, McManis struggled to keep up with Washington's slot receivers as well as tight end Jordan Reed. McManis is a solid special teams contributor, but he lacks the natural instincts to be a playmaker out of the slot.
There is no guarantee Callahan will continue to show improvement on a weekly basis moving forward like he has up to this point in his NFL career, but he is quickly proving he deserves to be the team's nickelback next season.
TE Zach Miller
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Zach Miller has always had the talent to be a productive NFL tight end, but he has struggled with injuries throughout his career.
He began the year as the No. 2 tight end behind Martellus Bennett, and he recorded his first catch since 2011 in Week 2 against the Cardinals. The Bears used him primarily as a blocking tight end before he broke out against St. Louis in Week 10.
Miller hauled in five catches from Cutler for 107 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Rams. The next week against Denver, he caught three passes for 47 yards before catching two balls for 10 yards with one touchdown on Thanksgiving against Green Bay.
Against San Francisco, he caught one pass for six yards, but he moved into a starting role in Week 14 after the team placed Bennett on season-ending injured reserve. Miller finished the game with five catches for 85 yards and one touchdown. He now has five touchdowns on the season—all coming in the last six games.
Bennett missed part of the team's offseason workouts in search of a new contract, but the Bears did not offer him a new deal. If Bennett is still searching for a new deal this offseason, the Bears may have to move on without him. Miller is playing on a one-year contract, but he has proven he can make an impact in the passing game when given the opportunity.
Miller's ability as a blocker is not at the same level as Bennett's, but he has shown improvement in recent weeks. In the passing game, Miller has the speed to create separation from linebackers, and he has strong enough hands to go up and get the football.
He turned 31 years old earlier this year, and the Bears will have to decide whether to offer Miller a long-term deal or try to lure him back on another one-year contract next season. Miller has been stepping up big in Bennett's absence, and he has a chance to be Chicago's starting tight end next season if the Bears decide to move on from their Pro Bowl tight end in the offseason.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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