The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.
Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2023 season. We’ll recap their 2022 season, look ahead to 2023 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
Up next at No. 23 is defensive tackle Andrew Billings, a new addition to the defensive line who will be tasked with improving the team’s run defense.
Background
Position: Defensive tackle
Age: 28
Experience: 8th season
2023 cap hit: $2.96 million
2022 recap
Billings played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 on a one-year deal after spending time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and wound up having one of the best seasons of his career. He played in 14 games and totaled a career-high 39 tackles (three for a loss), one sack and three QB hits. Billings plugged the middle of the defensive line for the Raiders and was critical to their run defense.
2023 outlook
The Bears will look to Billings to do the same thing he did when he was with Las Vegas: Stop the run. It was a problem for the Bears in 2022 as they finished second-to-last in the league by allowing 157.3 yards per game. They were gashed nearly every week with no answer on the defensive line. Billings should provide a sizeable upgrade with his massive size, standing at 6-foot-1 and 311 pounds. Just don’t expect him to rush the passer. He only has 4.5 sacks in his career.
Big question: Will Billings keep Gervon Dexter off his heels?
Billings will most likely get the first crack at starting Week 1 but how long will it be until rookie Gervon Dexter steals reps from him? The Bears drafted Dexter with the No. 53 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and reports out of offseason workouts are that he’s already impressing the coaching staff. Can Billings do enough to keep him at bay and play the majority of the snaps each game? No matter what, each player is going to be vital to the Bears’ defensive line in 2023 but Billings is the one with the target on his back entering camp.
30 Most Important Bears of 2023
We’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears of 2023. Check back every day leading up to the start of training camp.
| 30. K Cairo Santos | 29. FB Khari Blasingame | 28. TE Robert Tonyan |
| 27. DE Dominique Robinson | 26. LB Jack Sanborn | 25. DT Zacch Pickens |
| 24. RB Roschon Johnson | 23. DT Andrew Billings | 22. COMING 7/4 |
| 21. COMING 7/5 | 20. COMING 7/6 | 19. COMING 7/7 |
| 18. COMING 7/8 | 17. COMING 7/9 | 16. COMING 7/10 |
| 15. COMING 7/11 | 14. COMING 7/12 | 13. COMING 7/13 |
| 12. COMING 7/14 | 11. COMING 7/15 | 10. COMING 7/16 |
| 9. COMING 7/17 | 8. COMING 7/18 | 7. COMING 7/19 |
| 6. COMING 7/20 | 5. COMING 7/21 | 4. COMING 7/22 |
| 3. COMING 7/23 | 2. COMING 7/24 | 1. COMING 7/25 |
