Chicago Bears Week 1: 5 players that could make surprise impact

Players who could make surprise impact, Chicago Bears @ Los Angeles Rams: Alec Ogletree

Just a few days ago, starting inside linebacker Danny Trevathan was placed on IR. While Trevathan should return in a handful of weeks, his job belongs to veteran Alec Ogletree for the time being.

There are a couple of factors at play here. On one hand, Trevathan has slowed down significantly in the past couple of seasons. He is no longer the player he once was. In fact, if the Bears didn’t owe him the money they do, Trevathan could have been a cut candidate.

To go along with that, the Bears would have been fine cutting Trevathan due to the play of Ogletree. The team signed Ogletree a few days into training camp, and the veteran linebacker began putting on a show right away. Interception after interception, Ogletree reminded the Bears what type of player he can still be and why it was a mistake for his past two teams to give up so quickly.

This job may end up being Ogletree’s for the remainder of the season if he comes out and does what he has been doing the past month or so — and fans would welcome that. This defense needs quick, decisive linebackers who can make plays on the football. Against the Rams, Ogletree will likely have his hands full with a couple of players — including this next guy. But, seeing him perform well and justify his starting position would be a sight to see.