The Chicago Bears signed Nate Davis to a substantial three-year contract in March 2023, believing he would be an ideal addition to their offense due to his size, strength, and athleticism. However, as is often the case in free agency, there was no clear way to gauge Davis’ commitment to the game. Since joining the Bears, several issues have come to light: he appears to have a poor work ethic, reportedly dislikes practice, and has developed a reputation for frequent injury setbacks. His recent groin issue was hardly surprising.
It’s evident that head coach Matt Eberflus is becoming increasingly frustrated with Davis’ unreliability. The plan was for veteran Ryan Bates to take over at right guard once his shoulder injury healed, but he aggravated the injury and was placed on Injured Reserve. The Bears tried to make it work with Davis, but his performance in the first two games has been subpar. Now, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears intend to replace him with veteran Matt Pryor.
Eberflus hinted yesterday that Pryor might play on Sunday against Indianapolis. “Super excited for him, whether he’s working in there with Nate (Davis) or whatever that might be,” he said. Reports suggest that Pryor is expected to start at right guard.
It would be surprising if Nate Davis sees the field again. The Bears hope Pryor performs well enough on Sunday to earn more playing time, at least until Bates can return from IR and reclaim the starting position. Only if Pryor struggles or gets injured would Davis have another chance. The 29-year-old has started 12 games at right guard during his time in Philadelphia and Indianapolis, with mixed results. He has had some poor outings, but also some strong performances, partly due to being moved around frequently between guard and tackle, which hindered his consistency.
Since arriving in Chicago, the Bears have kept Pryor at guard, and he had an impressive preseason, allowing only one QB pressure in 40 snaps. While this isn’t the perfect solution, it was necessary. Nate Davis had become a liability, regardless of his health. At some point, a team must acknowledge a player is a sunk cost and try a different approach.
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