Let’s Hear It For the Chicago Bears Rookies! ...Middle East

If I could split a game ball among the Chicago Bears rookies, I’d do it without thinking twice.

There were plenty of contributors in the Bears’ 31-28 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, which makes it hard to choose who should get a game ball. But with that being said, making Bears rookies share a game ball is something that feels sensible, logical, and fitting. Practical? Not so much. However, with several first-year players making strong cases for a game ball, I’m down to be creative in order to ensure that everyone gets a moment to show off their shine by giving Bears rookies a collective game ball.

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Bears Rookies Shine in Week 12 Win vs. Steelers

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This felt like a necessary post to write after Patrick made an astute observation on The BN Bears Podcast about how good teams draft players who can contribute immediately as rookies. There were several Bears rookies who had standout performances in the team’s Week 12 win against the Steelers. Not all of the efforts came in the form of splash plays or big numbers. Some contributions were more subtle than others. Let’s run down the best of the Bears rookies from Week 12.

COLSTON LOVELAND, TIGHT END (Round 1, Pick 10)

The Colston Loveland glow-up has been fun. In Week 12, he caught 4 passes for 49 yards and scored a touchdown. He also made this nifty grab:

Colston Loveland catch[image or embed]

Loveland’s numbers since Week 6:

Perhaps the most important number from Loveland’s last six games is 302 — which is the number of offensive snaps he has played. Loveland has been in on 71.9 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in the team’s last six games. He is becoming a key figure in the offense and is working quite nicely in tandem with fellow tight end Cole Kmet.

LUTHER BURDEN III, WIDE RECEIVER (Round 2, Pick 39)

It was an absolute joy to see Luther Burden III in space with the football:

FUN PLAYS ARE FUN pic.twitter.com/4xbv7d27gn

Butden finished Week 12 with 4 touches and 61 scrimmage yards. He didn’t score a touchdown, but it feels like he is due. And whenever he gets the ball in his hands, Burden always seems to be a threat to break off a big one.

When it comes to Bears rookies, I don’t think anyone has come as far as Burden. The Mizzou product hsa gone from being seen as a first-round talent whose questionable motor dropped him into the second round to someone who is on the field for important moments and asked to make big plays. And he is making them! Burden still has a ways to go, but knowing that there is so much untapped potential has me excited about his future.

OZZY TRAPILO, OFFENSIVE LINEMAN (Round 2, Pick 56)

Of all the Bears rookies to play a key role in Sunday’s win, Ozzy Trapilo made the biggest impression:

You’ve Gotta See Ozzy Trapilo’s Initial Week 12 Grade From PFF www.bleachernation.com/bears/2025/1…[image or embed]

Trapilo played so well in place of Theo Benedet as the Bears’ starting left tackle that it made me re-think the Boston College product’s future role. I am now open to the idea of Trapilo playing his way into a potential long-term starter at left tackle. To be clear, I’m not etching his name in stone as a starter just yet. But if Trapilo can string together a run of quality outings where he uses his length to leverage against oncoming pass rushers, then this could be a conversation worth revisiting later. But there is so much more football to be played that we don’t need to go down that rabbit hole now.

LUKE NEWMAN, OFFENSIVE LINEMAN (Round 6, Pick 195)

This is one of my favorite moments from Bears rookies in Week 12:

.@steelers @ChicagoBears let's look at one play and watch #DaBears rookie class go about there business2b Ozzie BC6. Newman MICH ST7. Monangai Rutgers2a. Burden Missouri this is so cool !! Hats off to Ryan Poles and his staff #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/NzKU1Ljd0G

The play above features seventh-round rookie running back Kyle Monangai runs behind an offensive line that includes second-round rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo and sixth-round rookie offensive lineman Luke Newman moonlighting as a fullback while another second-round Bears rookie (wide receiver Luther Burden III) blocks downfield). It warms my soul on a cold day to see Chicago’s football team with multiple rookies chipping in to make big plays happen.

And let’s give some extra kudos to Luke Newman. The Michigan State product played 22 offensive snaps in place of right guard Jonah Jackson when he went down with an injury. Jackson would come back into the game, but not before Newman left a solid impression with his extended look.

Newman caught my eye during the preseason as one of the Bears’ better-performing offensive linemen. And while those efforts came against backups, I thought Newman showed he can hold his own in a pinch. This coaching staff must trust Newman. Otherwise, how else would you explain the team’s willigness to put a rookie offensive lineman in at fullback. It’s not like Ben Johnson is calling plays willy nilly or using personnel for the heck of it. Call it a hunch, but I think we’ll see more from Newman in the coming weeks.

KYLE MONANGAI, RUNNING BACK (Round 7, Pick 233)

When we look back at the year that was for Bears rookies, let’s remember that running back Kyle Monangai out-snapped (35-29), out-touched (12-9), and out-gained (48-29) backfield teammate D’Andre Swift in Week 12. Store that away in your memory banks for a later date.

I’m not sure we’ll ever get an official passing of the torch in the backfield because I feel as if Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson will find ways to utilize all healthy backs at his disposal. However, I felt a shift in the usage of Monangai and Swift happen during the game. Not only was the rookie getting more touches, he was also making the most of his opportunities with a 4.0 yards per carry average (as opposed to Swift’s 1.9 yards/attempt) and scoring a touchdown (Swift failed to find paydirt when called upon deep in the red zone).

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