In week three, the Indianapolis Colts will play the Chicago Bears in an attempt to finally record a victory. To start the season, Indianapolis has lost its first two games against the Green Bay Packers and the Houston Texans.

But on Sunday, Indianapolis’ offensive will receive a significant lift.

Breaking: Colts Make Amazing Announcement Just Hours Before Playoff Against Bears

As stated by Adam Schefter of ESPN:

Due to back and calf problems, Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bears, but a source indicates he should play.

In Week 3, the Bears are benching a $30 million starter against the Colts.

In anticipation of Sunday’s away game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, the Chicago Bears are getting ready to make a big adjustment to their underperforming offensive line.

Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears, with right guard Nate Davis (a $30 million investment) doubtful due to a groin injury, will start veteran free agent signing Matt Pryor in Davis’ place against the Colts.

“On September 21, Biggs posted on X, referencing Bears coach Matt Eberflus’ hint that Matt Pryor might play on Sunday against Indianapolis.” Eberflus also mentioned that he is “extremely thrilled” that Pyror will get to play against the Colts.

“Pryor is expected to start right guard, from what I’ve heard.”

The Bears might merely wish to bench Davis as a safety measure. After he reinjured his groin during the session on September 18, they limited him in the first two sessions of the week. The fact that Davis was benched does not preclude him from participating in a rotation with Pryor, as he did in the first game’s triumph with Ryan Bates.

However, if Pyror performs well against the Colts, he may have a chance to seize the right guard position permanently. After a dismal showing in Week 2, when the offensive line was unable to shield rookie quarterback Caleb Williams from Houston’s pass rushers or spring a run game, the Bears are working hard to strengthen their front line.

It’s possible that the Bears will permanently bench Davis if Pryor can contribute to the solution.

Bears are pleased with Matt Pryor’s progress.

Pryor is a fascinating right guard backup for the Bears. Though at first glance he appeared to be a veteran depth addition who might find himself on the roster bubble prior to the season, his versatility as a guard and tackle intrigued the Bears, and following a solid first training camp with the team, he earned a spot on the 53-man roster.

Pryor’s standing with the Bears coaching staff has improved ever since. Prior to the Colts game in Week 3, Eberflus gave him a lot of praise, highlighting his enthusiasm and work ethic while making a suggestion about a possible right guard rotation.

As a teammate, Eberflus added, “We really see improvement in him and what he’s brought to the table in terms of his work ethic, his energy, and what he brings there.” “He’s really had a good work week, and I’m super excited for him if he’s working there with Nate or whatever that might be. We’ll see in terms of getting closer to the game.”

When Pryor makes his debut for the Bears on Sunday, he will have a wealth of experience to draw from. Before joining Chicago in the summer, he appeared in 75 career games, 24 of which he started in his previous five seasons. He was used at every offensive line position save center.

Bears Have Few Choices In 2024, with Nate Davis
The Bears have made it apparent that they would like to start Davis in place of Davis. If Bates hadn’t been placed on injured reserve in Week 1, despite playing more snaps at the position than Davis, the right guard position might have gone to someone else sooner. If Pryor steps up to the plate, the Bears may finally have a successor for Davis.

The issue is that, with Davis in 2024, the Bears are essentially playing a lose-lose game.

Even if Davis sits on the bench starting in Week 3, the Bears are still required to pay him a large sum of money. Though it seems more likely that they will hold onto him as an experienced backup — albeit a pricey one — in case injuries drive them back toward him, they could theoretically cut him and save less than $1 million against the salary cap.

Despite the fact that Davis has not performed well thus far in 2024, the Bears cannot afford to pass up his experience. Other than Pryor and left guard Teven Jenkins, Bill Murray is the only other healthy guard on the team. In his career, Murray has not played a single snap in the regular season. If the Bears want to maintain their offensive line as strong as possible for the remainder of the season, Davis will still be required depth even when Bates returns from injured reserve.

If Davis doesn’t make a big change, though, the Bears will probably let him go when the 2025 offseason starts. If Chicago terminated Davis in the last year of his three-year, $30 million contract in 2023 free agency, the team would save $9.5 million in cap space and only have to pay a $2 million dead-cap charge.

The Bears can only find a workaround for their Davis issue until then.