3 underappreciated Chicago Bears players coming into 2022

A special teams ace who has been a Chicago Bear since 2016, DHC has been one of the most overlooked Bears for over a half decade.

1.) DeAndre Houston-Carson

DeAndre Houston-Carson is going into his 7th year with the Bears this season, and some fans might not even know it. Houston-Carson was a 6th round pick by the Bears back in 2016 out of William & Mary college.

As most 6th round selections do, Houston-Carson started his career as a special teamer. The average NFL career is a little over 3 years across the different positions. As a late round pick from a small school, that number is often less.

Despite the obstacles and adversity, Houston-Carson has been able to smash that narrative, making a long NFL career out of playing special teams.

That was until this past season. “DHC” has always been a reliable special teamer game in and game out, but in 2021, Houston-Carson was thrust into a bigger role, starting 3 games at free safety.

Not only did he start 3 games, Houston-Carson actually played 50% of all defensive snaps in 2021. In 2021, Houston-Carson snagged 1 interception, scooped up 2 fumbles (took one of those for a TD), and deflected 4 passes.

With Houston-Carson also still playing 72% of the special teams snaps, he also achieved a career high 51 tackles in 2021.

Houston-Carson has defied the odds from the day he was drafted, and he isn’t done making plays for the Bears yet. With all the new additions in the secondary this offseason, expect Houston-Carson to return to a special teams role, where he has been effective for many years.