The bye week has come at an opportune time for the Chicago Bears. Despite their acceptable 2-2 record heading into the bye, the Bears have a list of issues they need to fix before the grueling next three quarters of the season.
An additional week of rest now allows the Bears to regroup and the injured players to recover. Kyler Gordon and TJ Edwards will be two of the main beneficiaries of the bye week, as both starters are getting ready to return in Week 6. Colston Loveland and Grady Jarrett should also be available in Week 6 after missing the Raiders game prior to the bye.
Having a healthier roster should give head coach Ben Johnson more optionality, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Gordon being out at the same time as Jaylon Johnson, who has been on the injured reserve, has caused all sorts of problems for Chicago's secondary. All things considered, the defensive backfield fared better than expected without two key starters.
Nick McCloud's Role Should Be Significantly Reduced Starting in Week 6
Upon having Gordon back, Nick McCloud's defensive snaps should be significantly reduced, and he would ideally be left out of the rotation. The 27-year-old defender, who signed a one-year deal with the Bears in the offseason, has seen the bulk of the snaps at nickel corner in Gordon's absence.
Per Pro Football Focus, he has allowed 11 catches in 13 targets, two touchdowns, and a whopping 155.3 passer rating against in coverage. He has played 80% of Chicago's defensive snaps so far, and has two missed tackles and zero pass breakups or interceptions. With a 47.1 defensive grade of PFF, he ranks as the 89th-best cornerback in the NFL out of 101 qualified players.
If the Bears choose to integrate Gordon into the lineup slowly and don't want to give him more snaps than he can handle, McCloud will presumably continue to see some playing time. In his previous seasons in the league, he has played extensively on the outside, and there is a chance the Bears start utilizing him there, especially with Nahshon Wright also struggling in his starting role.
That, however, would be a big mistake. McCloud has not demonstrated anything in the last two seasons that warrants a significant role for a team.
Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell arguably deserve more of a look, regardless of Gordon's immediate workload upon his return. However, whether Dennis Allen and Ben Johnson agree remains to be seen.