When mentioning the name Nick Kwiatkoski, a lot of Chicago Bears groan. Not out of memories of a bad football player. More out of memories of a missed opportunity. The former 4th round pick spent the first three seasons of his career as a reserve inside linebacker. Then in 2019, he emerged as a spot starter when Danny Trevathan got injured. He played quite well. Enough to where many felt he was ready to supplant Trevathan as the permanent starter next to Roquan Smith.
In the end, the Bears decided to stick with the veteran, feeling his leadership was hard to lose. Kwiatkoski ended up signing a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. His first season went well. He finished with 81 tackles, a sack, and an interception in 12 games. Did the team make the wrong decision? Depends on who you ask. Trevathan had 113 tackles and a sack while not missing any games.
Either way, the Kwiatkoski situation does pose an interesting question.
Could the Bears be interested in giving another longtime reserve his opportunity to start? That might be the case with DeAndre Houston-Carson. Chicago brought the 27-year old back on a one-year deal this offseason. Most would assume it’s to keep him as a special teams stalwart. However, the lack of activity at safety since then leads one to wonder. Do they have bigger plans for him?
Houston-Carson played the most defensive snaps of his career in 2020. A total of 91. Obviously, that isn’t a lot, but he certainly made the most of his opportunities. The safety finished with 15 tackles, an interception, and three passes defended. Quarterbacks had just a 70.5 passer rating when targeting him in coverage. Was that enough to perhaps convince the coaching staff he’s ready for a shot? Don’t forget that Sean Desai is the new defensive coordinator and he was the safeties coach last year.
He may have different feelings than the previous staff might’ve.
Houston-Carson is capable of being another Nick Kwiatkoski
Talent was never the primary concern with him. He had the size and athleticism to be a starting NFL safety. The problem was he’d spent much of his college career as a cornerback. He didn’t shift to safety until his senior year. So he came into the NFL quite raw for that position. That combined with coming from a smaller school like William & Mary. It isn’t a surprise he fell to the 6th round.
Yet now with four years of pro experience under his belt, he’s received the necessary developmental time to understand what it means to be a safety. The brief teaser he provided last season was a strong indication. It was much the same way with Nick Kwiatkoski. He wasn’t always a linebacker. He had to switch from safety to that spot. So it took time for him to adjust as well.
Houston-Carson wouldn’t be the first story like this.
Shaun Gayle was a 10th round pick of the Bears back in 1984. He actually arrived as a cornerback. For the next five seasons, he almost exclusively a special teams guy. Then in 1989, the team finally made him their starting safety. A job he’d hold for the next six seasons, even making the Pro Bowl in 1991.
There is plenty of proof that being patient with a young player can bear fruit down the line. Houston-Carson is ready to be their latest test subject.