NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.
Next up is Dane Cruikshank, who was brought in to be a key reserve and special teams contributor. Unfortunately, he struggled staying healthy.
2022 stats
- 1 tackle (8 games)
2022 review
Cruikshank was brought in to be a situational contributor for the Bears on defense and special teams. He was someone who had earned a reputation for being able to step in and hold his own at safety. But Cruikshank struggled with injuries during training camp and the regular season, which limited him to eight games, where had totaled just one tackle on defense. Cruikshank was solid on special teams, when healthy.
Position need: Low
The Bears are littered with roster holes, but the safety position is probably their strongest. Chicago already has its starting duo of Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker in place, who proved to be quite the 1-2 punch at safety. Brisker is the hard-hitting box safety that allows Jackson to roam centerfield and make those big plays the Bears desperately need, including his four interception in 2022. Seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks is coming off a solid rookie season, and his development is worth watching heading into the 2023 season. Chicago could also bring back veteran DeAndre Houston-Carson on a one-year deal to strengthen that group once again.
The future
The Bears signed Cruikshank to a one-year, prove-it deal, but the veteran safety didn’t prove much in the eight games he appeared in. They could certainly considering bringing him back on another affordable one-year deal, especially given his ability on special teams (and the fact that safety isn’t a pressing need). But it certainly feels like this could be a one-and-done deal for Cruikshank and Chicago.
2023 free agency profiles
We’re highlighting the Bears’ most notable free agents set to hit the open market in March:
| David Montgomery | Nicholas Morrow | N’Keal Harry |
| DeAndre Houston-Carson | Riley Reiff | Byron Pringle |
| Sam Mustipher | Patrick Scales | Khari Blasingame |
| Angelo Blackson | Matt Adams | Michael Schofield |
| Mike Pennel | Joe Thomas | Armon Watts |
| Dane Cruikshank | Ryan Griffin (3/9) | Dante Pettis (3/10) |
