Chicago Bears: Players under the most pressure in 2019

Center stage

Kicking off the list is James Daniels, the second-year offensive lineman out of the University of Iowa. The former center in college was very good for the Bears last year, especially considering he made the switch to left guard in the offseason.

In 16 games (10 starts), Daniels demonstrated the rare combination of power and athleticism that led to the Bears selecting him in the second round (No. 39 overall), in what was widely regarded as a steal.

Based on his performance, fans started to envision him as the starting left guard for the next decade, next to Cody Whitehair, the center whose contract the Bears are expected to extend at some point this year.

However, to the surprise of some — especially after refusing to consider the move last offseason when Whitehair was struggling with his snaps — the Bears announced they were moving Whitehair back to guard, and Daniels would start at center.

Daniels has big shoes to fill. Not only is he taking over for perhaps Mitchell Trubisky’s best friend on the team, and with whom he has developed a great on-the-field- rapport, but Whitehair was terrific at the position. He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2016 and made his first Pro-Bowl last season.

Moreover, the Bears offense is incredibly complex, so with his new role will come new responsibilities for Daniels, especially with pre-snap identifications. He will also have to get reacquainted with some of the nuances of the center position, but he is smart enough and athletic enough to do so quickly.