The Chicago Bears 2020 season hasn’t gone like anybody expected. When they started back in September, everybody was convinced Cody Whitehair was the center of the present and the future. The James Daniels experiment had failed. It just goes to show that trying to predict the NFL is a losing proposition. How many bettors had Sam Mustipher taking over as the starter midway through the season?
The truly did come out of nowhere. Though he had a long, productive time as a starter at Notre Dame, he was largely an afterthought in the Bears’ large 22-man undrafted class in 2019. His own teammate Alex Bars got all the attention at the time. Mustipher didn’t let that stop him. He kept working hard, bulked up to 320 lbs, and when his opportunity came, he seized it.
Now people are starting to envision him as a long-term option.
It’s not hard to see why. The Bears offensive line experienced a complete revival once he took over. Teammates have praised him for his intelligence and ability to communicate. Not to mention his leadership, even for such a young guy. Guys in the locker room love him. Coaches have admitted they didn’t see such admiration coming so quickly.
Mustipher himself admits he’s had a great teacher. The center has worked and spoken with former Bears great Olin Kreutz on many occasions. Both know each other going back to his days at Notre Dame. So when Chicago signed him, it was a big opportunity to continue picking the brain of the last truly elite center the Bears had. Mustipher freely admits he’s doing everything he can to emulate who Kreutz was.
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Sam Mustipher does come across as Kreutz-like
The similarities are striking. Both came from humble beginnings. They were kids known for being physical even at a young age and found football as a means to get that aggression out. By the time they arrived in college, it became clear almost immediately that due to being undersized their best hope for success would be at center. Kreutz was 6’2 and so is Mustipher.
Each realized early on that they might not be the most athletically gifted guy either. So their best hope to reach the NFL would be through grit, determination, leadership, and technique. If it could work for Kreutz, why not Sam Mustipher? Already the evidence is piling up that he knows what he’s doing. The performance of the Bears offense over the past four weeks.
Everything is clicking.
Mitch Trubisky has a passer rating just shy of 100. The running game has averaged 140 yards on the ground with David Montgomery scoring six touchdowns in that same stretch. Mustipher isn’t doing that alone but it’s not a coincidence all of it started once the Bears made him their starting center. Some people can’t look past the fact he went undrafted. Is that supposed to mean he can’t play football.
Half the NFL is made up of undrafted players. So clearly some of these guys can get after it. Mustipher is one of them. He’s earned the right to hold that job until further notice. Just like Kreutz did.
