Nate Davis only played 18 snaps last Sunday for the Chicago Bears. Veteran Ryan Bates played 28. It was a confusing situation because there were no indications Davis was hurt. Head coach Matt Eberflus said the decision was part of a rotation plan. However, not everybody is buying that. It felt much more like the team choosing to bench Davis. The unknown reason was what for?
Team insider Adam Hoge of CHGO did some digging and believes the decision stemmed from one play in the first half. It came when Caleb Williams was sacked for a 19-yard loss, knocking the Bears out of field goal range. Center Coleman Shelton got blamed for the snafu, but Hoge believes Davis' lack of willingness to help was the real reason the play blew up.
Watching the video back, it is hard to miss. Titans defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat shoots the gap on Shelton's right shoulder. Davis was in a perfect position to give a chip block to slow him down. The guard barely touches him. Sweat swarmed Williams, who was left with no choice but to scramble, trying to escape.
Nate Davis didn't get much playing time after that.
Bates finished the game at right guard. While it didn't help the offensive line much, the Bears at least knew they could count on him to do the right things. This incident is the latest in a long line of grievances with Davis. He arrived as a high-priced free agent in 2023. Since then, he has missed six games with various injuries and the bulk of two training camps. In 397 snaps, he has allowed 30 pressures, including seven QB hits and a sack. That is almost identical to what Bears right guards gave up in 2022. What exactly is the team paying for at this point?
It seems increasingly likely that the organization would love to move on from Nate Davis. The problem is that they don't have a choice right now. Bates is nursing a shoulder injury that has him out for Sunday's game in Houston. There aren't any notable free agents worth pursuing. Unless they want to make an aggressive move on the trade market in a few weeks, they are stuck with him for the next couple of months.
