Chicago Bears Quietly Made Kyle Fuller What He Should Be

Nov 9, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Chicago Bears strong safety Ryan Mundy (21) and cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) celebrate during the second quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

There was no bigger disappointment during the first month of the 2015 season than cornerback Kyle Fuller.  The former 14th overall pick of the Chicago Bears followed a strong start to his rookie season with an ugly finish that saw him regress into a worse and worse state until quarterbacks threw at him constantly without fear.  It didn’t get much better through the first two weeks as he allowed five catches on eight passes thrown his way for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

It got so bad to a point that the coaching staff actually benched him before the end of a game.  By then most Bears fans had given up hope, believing Fuller to be just another failed draft pick by former GM Phil Emery.  What they haven’t realized is that since his brief demotion, the young corner has figured it out.

From Pro Football Focus:

"“After surrendering 106 yards and two touchdowns in the first two games of the season, it looked like it was going to be another tough season for Kyle Fuller (+1.8), but the Bears’ second-year corner has turned things around since, with last night’s game his third-highest grade of the season. Since Week 2, Fuller is among the 10 highest-graded corners in the NFL, having conceded fewer than 200 yards on 43 targets in that spell. The Bears will hope that more games like this prove to be the launch point of a stellar career from last year’s first-round pick.”"

Fuller’s presence was so apparent up at Lambeau Field that Aaron Rodgers, a man who has terrorized Bears corners for year, only bothered to throw his way twice the entire game with neither being completed.  Meanwhile he targeted Tracy Porter 11 times who allowed just two catches and had an interception.  Of course he got all the attention, with nobody bothering to mention how uninviting Fuller must’ve made passing his way look.

Considering where he was drafted and the expectations that come with it, this shouldn’t be a surprise.  However, having gone through the fires of the Trestman era and how it made everybody worse, perhaps fans are seeing the real him and what that means for the future of the Bears defense.