Bears mid-season MVP for offense, defense, and special teams
The Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFL have reached the mid-season mark following the conclusion of Week 9. With eight games still to play in the 2023 regular season, now is the perfect time to take a step back and analyze the overall play of the Bears this season, while handing out some […]
The Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFL have reached the mid-season mark following the conclusion of Week 9.
With eight games still to play in the 2023 regular season, now is the perfect time to take a step back and analyze the overall play of the Bears this season, while handing out some flowers to the team's top players.
With that being said, here's the Bears' most valuable players throughout the first nine weeks of the 2023 NFL on offense, defense, and special teams.
Offensive MVP: OG Teven Jenkins
That's right, we're going to do the unthinkable and hand out the MVP award to an offensive lineman. Quite truthfully, no one else on the Bears offense deserves this award more than Teven Jenkins considering all of the injuries the unit has faced.
Since returning in Week 5 and re-joining the starting lineup in Week 6, Jenkins has easily been the most valuable member of the Bears offensive unit. Jenkins has started four straight games and flawlessly made the transition from left guard to right guard in Week 7 with zero hesitation nor complaints.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins has played 162 pass blocking snaps this season and has yet to allow a single sack and has only allowed six total pressures. Jenkins is the Bears' highest graded overall offensive lineman with a 78.1 PFF grade. His impact to this team and the offensive unit has been criminally undervalued.
Runner-up: WR DJ Moore
Defensive MVP: CB Jaylon Johnson
Jaylon Johnson has more than proved his worth the high price tag he's currently requesting from the Bears front office. Johnson has by far been the team's best defensive player through the first nine weeks of the season and deserved to be paid like it. It'll be a tough look for Ryan Poles to run his top defensive player out of town.
Johnson is currently the Bears highest graded defensive player in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus (min. 100 defensive snaps played). Johnson has 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, and 1 defensive touchdown while allowing a 40.9 passer rating in coverage with 13 receptions allowed in 7 games started.
Johnson is the 6th highest graded coverage player in the league among players who have played at least 250 coverage snaps in 2023. Johnson's 40.9 passer rating allowed is the fifth-lowest among defensive players matching that same criteria. The fourth-year defensive back is playing his best football of his career this season and will only get better as the season continues.
Runner-up: LB T.J. Edwards
Special Teams MVP: K Cairo Santos
The Chicago Bears special teams unit hasn't been particularly eye opening this season, but kicker Cairo Santos has been nearly perfect in 2023. Santos narrowly missed his first field goal of the season last Sunday on a 40-yard attempt that bounced off the right up-right. But before that miss, Santos was a perfect 12-12 on field goals.
Santos is 3-3 on field goals over 50+ yards in 2023 including a season long of 54-yards that he drilled against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7. The Bears kicker is also 18-19 on extra point attempts in 2023, with his only miss coming in Week 7.
In total, Santos as scored 54 points for the Bears this season. Santos has the third highest field goal percentage in the NFL in 2023 only trailing Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey (100%) and Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo (95.2%).
Runner-up: RB Travis Homer
So, there you have it. The 2023 Chicago Bears MVPs through the first-half of the season. It'll be interesting to see how this list changes once the season comes to a close in nine weeks.
Bears bold predictions for the second-half of the 2023 season
Will the crystal ball come true?
