At the Bears bye week, we're taking a look at whose stock is rising and falling.
The Chicago Bears are enjoying some peace and quiet this weekend during their early bye week. The Bears (2-2) are winners of two straight and are hoping to build off this successful run while simultaneously working to get healthy at a number of crucial positions. All before they head to Washington, D.C., for a highly anticipated rematch against the Washington Commanders.
While the bye week is much earlier than it has been in previous years, it's still a good point to evaluate certain players and how they're performing. Here is our stock watch of 10 Bears players, with some rising and some falling:
Stock up: QB Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams’ uneven Week 1 already feels like half a season ago. Since his jittery season debut, the second-year quarterback has settled in and is playing in rhythm. He’s navigating the pocket much better than in his rookie season, and his deep ball accuracy has improved as well. His stats have him as a fringe top 10 quarterback, which is exactly where he should strive to be.
Most important, however, is his command of the offense. Williams looks to be in total control, and there is a sense of confidence and calm when he needs to drive the ball downfield. A big Monday Night Football performance will have everyone saying that he’s fully arrived as a premier NFL quarterback.
Stock down: WR DJ Moore
Through four games, DJ Moore has taken a back seat in the offense, and the child locks are on the doors. Moore is third on the team in targets behind Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus and is on pace for his worst statistical season as a pro. Moore still makes a play or two a game that reminds everyone how dangerous he can be, but there doesn’t seem to be a consistent fit for him on offense.
With Odunze passing him in the pecking order as of now, Moore is becoming a distant WR2. He should still have big games as the season goes on, but it could be a while until that happens.
Stock up: WR Rome Odunze
Moore’s stock is down, while Odunze’s is higher than ever. The second-year receiver is on a tear, scoring five touchdowns in four games and developing into Williams’ top target. Odunze has a shot to break the team record for most receiving touchdowns in a season, while his 74 yards per game put him on pace for a 1,250-yard season.
Odunze is doing everything well, from route running to gaining yards after the catch. We’ll see if he can keep up this pace, but it’s clear the Bears have a budding star on their offense.]
Stock down: TE Cole Kmet
It’s funny how one game can completely erase any goodwill from the rest of the season. Cole Kmet was as dependable as they came to start the 2025 season, playing a key role in blocking and making timely catches. All of that went out the window with his performance in Las Vegas.
Kmet had a couple of big drops, two false start penalties, and a near disaster when Williams tried to fire a pass to him across his body that could have been intercepted. All while rookie Colston Loveland was unavailable due to a hip injury. Kmet will bounce back, but he played his worst game as a pro at an inopportune time.
Stock up: OT Ozzy Trapilo
Ozzy Trapilo saw his first meaningful snaps last weekend in the second half, and though he wasn’t perfect, he did enough to keep Williams upright and prevent Maxx Crosby from wrecking the game even further. Trapilo allowed just two hurries and showed the moment wasn’t too big for him.
Will he see more playing time after the bye? It could be tough, as Darnell Wright is expected back from his elbow injury. Still, Trapilo has inspired confidence in his limited appearances.
Stock up: OG Joe Thuney
This is strictly a Joe Thuney appreciation blurb, given no one talks about him. That’s because his play has been outstanding from the very start of the season. Thuney has not allowed a sack nor committed a penalty. He’s only allowed one quarterback hit and four pressures.
Though his run blocking hasn’t been as stellar as his pass blocking, Thuney has been everything the Bears envisioned when they acquired him in March. Thuney’s stock has always been high, but it continues to rise with each passing week.
Stock down: DE Dayo Odeyingbo
The Bears' defensive line has been a massive disappointment, but the edges especially have failed to show up. Dayo Odeyingbo had a hot start to the season when he abused backup Vikings tackle Justin Skule with a sack, a pass deflection, and one tackle for loss. Since then, he’s done very little to make an impact.
Over the last three games, Odeyingbo has totaled exactly zero sacks, no tackles for loss, and no pass breakups or fumbles. He has seven tackles and one QB hit. Meanwhile, Josh Sweat, another top free agent from this past offseason, has been balling out for the Arizona Cardinals. If Odeyingbo doesn’t pick things up, it could be another massive miss for general manager Ryan Poles.
Stock down: DE Montez Sweat
While Josh Sweat is having a productive season, the same cannot be said for Montez Sweat. The highest-paid player on the team has yet to make a difference on defense and is playing average football right now. Sweat isn’t bad per se, but expectations are higher when you’re getting paid $25 million per year.
Through four games, Sweat has totaled just one sack and three tackles for loss. He’s on pace for his lowest sack total of his career outside of his injury-shortened season in 2021. Sweat needs to be a multiplier on the defensive line, and that simply hasn’t happened up to this point.
Stock up: CB Tyrique Stevenson
What a difference a few weeks makes. Three weeks ago, the smoke detectors were going off because Stevenson was burnt toast. He allowed a near-perfect passer rating against the Detroit Lions and looked to be overmatched. Stevenson rebounded in a big way and has been a shutdown corner over the last two weeks.
According to Stephen Letizia, Stevenson has allowed just three receptions on 12 targets for a total of six yards with three pass breakups and an interception. The Bears desperately needed stability at cornerback after losing Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Terell Smith, and Stevenson has provided it.
Stock down: S Jaquan Brisker
It’s good to see Jaquan Brisker back healthy on the field following his scary concussion last year, but what has he been doing exactly? Brisker has been fine opposite Kevin Byard, but he hasn’t stood out at all. That’s key in a contract year.
Brisker has 21 total tackles with none for loss, no sacks, and one pass breakup. He’s been playing second fiddle to Kevin Byard, who has starred for the Bears in recent weeks. Maybe he gets going after the bye week, but so far, it’s been a lackluster season for the hard-hitting safety.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears stock watch: Who's up, who's down at the bye week?
Category: Football