Chicago Bears Midseason Awards

With the Chicago Bears coming off their bye with just three wins and six losses, they aren’t exactly where we hoped they’d be, but this team has had some entertaining moments, some stand out performances, and there are a few players that are playing well through the first nine games of the 2021 campaign.

With the NFL now at a 17 game season there isn’t a natural midway point to the season any longer, but with the Bears on their bye after 52.9% of their season is over, this seemed like the perfect place to get into some Bears Midseason awards.

Offensive Player of the Year

David Montgomery & Khalil Herbert

Yeah it’s a tie. The Bears have morphed into a running team as they try to break in a rookie quarterback, and at the center of that has been the hard nosed Montgomery and Herbert. When the Bears lost Montgomery to a knee injury towards the end of their week 4 win against the Lions, it could have spelled doom for an offense that was just starting to find its identity, but Herbert emerged as a legitimate tailback threat.

Appearing in all 9 games (with 2 starts), Herbert leads the team in rushing with 85 attempts, 364 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 4.3 average yards per carry. He has also caught 9 passes for 44 yards.

Montgomery has started the 5 games he’s played in, and he has 82 carries, 372 yards, 3 TDs, and a 4.5 ypc, while adding 8 receptions for 66 yards.

Runner up - Jason Peters

Defensive Player of the Year

Roquan Smith

Smith has been flying all around the field for the Bears this season, and his 93 combined tackles is more than double the next most on the Bears, and it’s tied for the most tackles in the NFL this season thus far. He’s added an interception that he took 53 yards for a TD, 3 passes defended, 3 sacks, and 6 tackles for loss, all while playing every single snap on defense this year.

Runner up - Jaylon Johnson

Comeback Player of the Year

Robert Quinn

Last season Quinn played in 15 games with 13 starts while battling a foot injury, and he had 20 tackles, 2 sacks, 0 tackles for loss, 6 QB Hits, 3 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. But in just 8 games so far in 2021, Quinn leads the Bears with 6.5 sacks, 7 TFL, and 8 QBH, and he’s also eclipsed last year’s tackle total already with 26. After being a non factor for most of 2020 he’s been a force against both the pass and run this year.

Runner up - Alec Ogletree

Rookie of the Year

Justin Fields

If either Larry Borom or Khalil Herbert had played all 9 games, I might have been tempted to go in one of those directions, but Fields has had enough electric moments that this has to be him. Rookie quarterbacks always have ups and downs, but Fields has had more positives than negatives the last couple weeks. His first start in Cleveland was brutal, but since that game he’s grown as a player, he’s played with confidence, his decision making has improved, and the wow moments have picked up as well.

He’s the sole reason our fan confidence in the franchise is increasing despite a four game losing streak.

Runner up - Khalil Herbert

Team MVP

Roquan Smith

Not only has Smith as been the most consistent offensive/defensive player this season for the Bears, he’s been their best player. He’s the only Bear that is in serious running for an All-Pro appearance.

Runner up - Cairo Santos

Now it’s your turn, who do you have for the Bears Midseason Awards?