Chicago Bears: 5 players who must stand out against Indianapolis Colts

3. Nick Kwiatkoski

One of the more stressful players on the Bears to watch, it’s clear that there’s no knowing what to expect from Nick Kwiatkoski on any given play. At one point during the game, Kwiatkoski is being physical and showing that he’s got a nose for the football. However, on the next play, he’s being beaten by a wide receiver running a drag route over the middle of the field due to the lack of speed he possesses.

Now that he’s heading into year four with the Bears, Kwiatkoski’s has some real competition. Second-year linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe has the speed that Kwiatkoski lacks and has looked good this preseason. Then there’s Josh Woods, who has a total of 14 tackles and one forced fumble in two games this preseason.

This is what makes Kwiatkoski’s game against the Colts so important. For the first time since joining the Bears in 2016, Kwiatkoski has some legitimate competition. Over the next two weeks, he’s going to really need to have two strong games to show that he can stay on the Bears roster.

As of right now, the writing isn’t necessarily on the wall for the Bears, however, it could be by the end of Friday night’s game against the Colts. If Kwiatkoski can’t have a strong showing, then the Bears should seriously consider cutting him to open up a roster spot to give someone else more playing time.