Bears' Position Battles to Watch Ahead of 2023 NFL Season

The Chicago Bears should be slightly better during the 2023 NFL season. Their record couldn't sink much lower after they went a league-worst 3-14 during the 2022 campaign.

However, they're still not quite a playoff-caliber team, and it will take some time before the franchise reaches that level again.

But there's more talent on Chicago's roster coming out of its active offseason. Now, it'll have to sort all these players out, determining who the starters will be and who will make the 53-man roster by the end of training camp and the preseason.

Here's a look at several Bears position battles to keep an eye on ahead of the 2023 season.

Running Back

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LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - MAY 23: Khalil Herbert #24 of the Chicago Bears looks on during OTAs at Halas Hall on May 23, 2023 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

David Montgomery is gone, having signed with the NFC North rival Detroit Lions this offseason. So there will be a new lead running back for Chicago's offense in 2023.

Heading into training camp, Khalil Herbert should be the front-runner. The 25-year-old took a sizable step from his 2021 rookie season to his 2022 sophomore campaign, as he rushed for 731 yards and four touchdowns despite being limited to 13 games last year.

But Herbert will have to win the starting job. The Bears signed D'Onta Foreman and selected former Texas running back Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the draft. Foreman is the bigger threat after he ran for 914 yards and five TDs in 17 games while playing for the Carolina Panthers last season.

All three of these running backs should factor into Chicago's offense. But they should have a competitive battle for playing time before that.

Center

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Cody Whitehair

Much of the Bears' offensive line should be set heading into training camp. Rookie Darnell Wright will likely be the immediate starter at right tackle, while Braxton Jones is solidified on the left side. Teven Jenkins and free-agent acquisition Nate Davis are poised to hold down the guard spots.

But who will be in the center of Chicago's O-line? There will likely be a two-man battle to decide that in training camp: Cody Whitehair vs. Lucas Patrick.

Whitehair is 30 and has spent his entire seven-year NFL career with the Bears. He's made 107 starts over that span, although he was limited to 12 games last season because of a knee injury, and he's bounced between center and the guard spots. Patrick was Chicago's starting center early last year, but he played only seven games because of a toe injury.

The Bears offensive line is much-improved, which is why there's only one starting spot open for either Whitehair or Patrick. Whitehair is probably an early favorite for the job, but Patrick could make things interesting during training camp and the preseason.

Cornerback

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Tyrique Stevenson

Ideally, Chicago's secondary will feature Jaylon Johnson as one of the starting cornerbacks on the outside and Kyler Gordon in a nickel role. If that's how they align, then the Bears will need a second starting cornerback for the outside to play opposite Johnson.

There's a decent chance Tyrique Stevenson could win that job, becoming an immediate starter to begin his NFL career. The 23-year-old was selected by Chicago during the second round of this year's draft out of Miami.

But Stevenson isn't a sure thing. If he doesn't impress enough in training camp, the Bears could consider other starting options. Those include Jaylon Jones and Kindle Vildor.

This should be a fun battle to monitor throughout camp. And if Stevenson can seize the starting role, he'll help Chicago's secondary in both the short and long term.