The Chicago Bears may have had a rather awful season in 2021, but individually, Trevis Gipson had a great one.

As a result, the national media has caught on and is turning up the temperature in regard to expectations for Gipson in 2022. Our own Sam Phalen recently published an in-depth dive on Gipson's impact and Pro Football Focus also pointed to 2022 as a breakout year for Gipson.

Now, ESPN and Football Outsiders have entered the chat.

The FO staff recently published a column highlighting the most underrated players on each team and sure enough, Gipson made the cut for the Bears.

Below is what they wrote:

"Gipson emerged as a strong No. 3 and spot starter for the Bears last season, racking up seven sacks and 15 hurries in just under 500 snaps. Though a bit raw in his approach, Gipson has good length, functional strength and stunning flashes of bend around the corner. If Gipson can use this year's opportunity as a starter to take another step forward, the Bears may have a real difference maker on their hands."

Could Gipson be a reason why the Bears trade Robert Quinn?

It's logical to label Gipson as underrated and as a player to break out in 2022. One development that may help ensure that/speed up the process is trading Robert Quinn.

Quinn has been the source of speculation for a good while now and he recently didn't show up to mandatory minicamp. The former All-Pro set the record for the most sacks in Bears history last year and is a natural 4-3 defensive end, which is what the Bears defense will be based out of under Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams. Meaning, he holds major value on the Bears depth chart.

But, if the coaching staff feels really good about Gipson, it could give them the confidence to move Quinn. The Bears don't have many horses in the pass rushing stable after trading Khalil Mack and they'd be nearly devoid if they trade Quinn.

However, Gipson and Al-Quadin Muhammad could be just enough to get by in 2022 if they have strong camps. Depth at pass rusher would then become the focal point of the conversation, which would likely turn the focus to the free agent wire.

Regardless, Gipson could very well pave the way for a Quinn trade if he has a strong camp. Either way, there are going to be a lot of eyes on him in 2022.

You can check out the entire column, here.

Featured image via Dan Powers-USA TODAY NETWORK