Anybody who follows the NFL tends to know one thing. Age is a much bigger factor in this league than others. This due to the sheer physical toll it can take on the body. That is why they call it a young man’s game. Those who reach the 30-year old barrier know they’re likely on borrowed time. They can’t afford too many down seasons or they’ll find themselves replaced by somebody younger and cheaper. Few players on the Chicago Bears roster know this better than Danny Trevathan.

He hit the big 3-0 last year. Yet there were warning signs of a decline even before that. Trevathan missed seven games in 2019 with an injury and was a liability in coverage most of the time he was on the field. Things seemed to get even worse last year. The veteran linebacker still showed his strong instincts and toughness, but too often seemed a step slow on several plays. Many are starting to wonder if the time for a change is approaching.

Or can the 31-year old turn back the clock one more time?

The layout of his contract has done enough to keep Trevathan on the roster. Cutting him is nearly impossible for the Bears this year. So they’re content to ride it out with him and Roquan Smith for another season. Whether he can push it beyond 2021? That depends entirely on how he performs over the next few months. Based on what Adam Jahns of The Athletic hinted? Trevathan is ready for the challenge.

“He didn’t have the same sideline-to-sideline speed that made him one of general manager Ryan Pace’s best free-agent signings. He looked his age (he turned 31 in March) despite being in the first year of a three-year contract extension.

The hope is that the pandemic and the lack of a typical offseason program played a role in that slow start. But it’s on Trevathan, one of the Bears’ team leaders, to prove that. He did improve as last season went on. Trevathan’s speed and tenacity also showed up at minicamp earlier this month.”

The funny thing is Trevathan wasn’t terrible last season. He finished with 113 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and seven passes defended. By most accounts that is a respectable season for an inside linebacker. The sore spot lay in his coverage numbers. Opposing QBs picked on him a lot, completing 46-of-59 passes for 573 yards and two touchdowns. Good for a 118.4 passer rating.

His name is Danny Trevathan. pic.twitter.com/PWQd4yGqJN

— Barroom Network – Aldo Gandia (@BarroomNetwork) November 2, 2020

The more I watch this #Bears play, the more I cringe.

Packers have five receivers lined up and Pagano calls a nickel blitz. EJax picks up the hitch, presumably because nobody was covering Davante. And then, Trevathan in man deep vs. a WR. Just awful. pic.twitter.com/qEXz0uhwC9

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) January 4, 2021

Can Danny Trevathan hold up another season?

Being fast in June is fine. The bigger challenge is whether he can maintain that speed for a full season. Remember the Bears will have to play 17 games this year. That is an even greater toll on the body. Especially for a linebacker pushing into his 30s. Will the team seek to curb the number of snaps he plays in order to give him breathers? That remains unclear. Sean Desai is the new defensive coordinator and an unknown quantity.

One thing can be said for certain. Danny Trevathan seems more motivated than ever to prove people wrong. Having a full offseason to prepare should help him significantly. He’ll have the ramp-up period he didn’t last year. That means his body will be ready for football much earlier. So perhaps we will see the Trevathan we saw in December for all of this season.

That would be a good thing.

If that version shows up alongside the player Smith is becoming? Then the Bears’ defense should be in good shape for 2021. At least when it comes to defending the run. The pass coverage is another story. He can fix that on his own. All he has to make sure is to not routinely get abused by opposing tight ends.