Chicago Bears fans may want to prepare for this Pro Bowler to take a step back

The NFL stands for Not For Long because it’s so hard to sustain success in a league that’s always in flux. That’s why the greats get more credit for consistency than for peak seasons. The Chicago Bears have a few players who have had their best seasons and may be regressing to the mean.

Pro Football Network listed a regression candidate for each team and named DJ Moore. This is a pretty easy call, as Moore had a career year, but now he has two big names added to him. Will he get as many targets?

However, we have argued that the targets will be greater overall, as the quarterback and other receivers will also create space for Moore to be more efficient. He may not regress as much as he appears. So, if that is the case, who is the real regression candidate for the Bears?

The first thought is Montez Sweat. He only had half that in Chicago, but his 12.5 sacks are not only a career record, they’re 3.5 more than his previous career-high. Sweat had more motivating factors, and he did well last year. Can he keep that up with a defensive line that hasn’t improved as much as other positions?

The other easy choice is Jaylon Johnson. Jaylon Johnson went from a player that most would agree is a low-end number one cornerback or a high-end number two to an All-Pro in 2023 and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Johnson went from one interception in three seasons to four last year, including a pick-six. The reality is that Johnson can still have a strong year, he can be a top-ten cornerback, and that would be a regression year. That doesn’t even begin to take into account that the life of a cornerback is hard and so dependent on the quarterbacks you play and when you get opportunities to make plays. That’s why top cornerbacks can change so quickly.

Moore is a good choice and Sweat gets an honorable mention, but Johnson is least likely to build on his 2023 performance and most likely to regress.