Chicago Bears: Trevis Gipson Feels He Is On Verge Of Breakout

Despite not having the numbers in 2022, Chicago Bears defensive end Trevis Gipson feels he was close and will have a breakout season in 2023.

The Chicago Bears‘ pass rush was nonexistent in 2022. They ranked last in the NFL in sacks and quarterback hits. Opposing quarterbacks could stand in the pocket, eat a sandwich, and complete the pass before anyone got near him.

To illustrate how bad the pass rush was, the leader in sacks in Chicago was Jaquan Brisker, a safety, who had four. The fact that the player furthest away from the backfield ended up leading the defense in sacks tells you all you really need to know about how bad the pass rush really was.

General manager Ryan Poles wanted to change all of that in 2023. He went about it in a different way, however. While everyone expected him to either spend some of the nearly $100 million in cap space to acquire a big-name defensive end or use one of his 10 draft picks on one, he chose to stand pat.

Poles signed Demarcus Walker. He is a nice upgrade on this defense but doesn’t make much of an impact. For depth, he is good. To be a top dog, not necessarily.

Poles felt he had pretty good talent already on the roster. He drafted Dominique Robinson to be a project last season. He ended up being much better than what the team felt he could be in his rookie season. With last year’s experience under his belt, Robinson could take a big step in 2023.

Gipson was supposed to be the top dog

The Chicago Bears’ defensive line also has Trevis Gipson. Gipson was the team’s fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. In limited play in his rookie season, he impressed the coaches.

In 2021, he took a big step up. Starter Khalil Mack got injured and Gipson played in his place. He had a big year. He played in 16 games, starting 9. In those games, he recorded 39 tackles (7 for loss), 7 quarterback hits, 7 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

Things were looking good for him as he entered the 2022 season. However, things didn’t go as planned. He only had 3 sacks and 31 tackles. Two of his sacks came in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. His final one didn’t come until Week 17 in a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. He didn’t exactly light things up to impress the new coaching staff.

After not having the season many expected, the pressure mounted. Many people now don’t see him as starter material. Sure, he could be good in a rotation, but when he had his chance to be a full-time starter they felt he whiffed. They felt he was one of the reasons the Bears need an overhaul at the defensive end spot.

Gipson feels he was close in 2022

Of course, Gipson doesn’t agree. He feels that he was very close to having a big 2022 season. The problem was that he was just a hair too late getting to the quarterback. A split second here a half-step there and things would be different. He remembers how close he was.

Every single one of them. Miami Dolphins, I had an open one waiting for me on Tua Tagavailoa. Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen, I missed two. Against Philadelphia, I missed one. Shoot, even against the Lions the second time we played, I missed one that was right there. Close but not close enough.

Gipson spent the offseason trying to improve his quickness and anticipation. Improving those means the difference between three, seven, or 10+ sacks in a season. He is in the final year of his rookie contract so he wants to make an impact and earn a new contract. His time in Chicago has been great for him and he appreciates the opportunity the team gave him. Now he wants to go out and prove himself to be an integral part of the Chicago Bears’ defense moving forward.