Getty Bears pass rusher Trevis Gipson is about to get a huge opportunity in Chicago.
Trevis Gipson is set to begin his third NFL season with the Chicago Bears and this year, he’ll have some colossal shoes to fill.
A fifth-round selection for the Bears out of Tulsa in 2020, Gipson, who turns 25 in June, is expected to fill the spot on Chicago’s defensive line vacated by All-Pro Khalil Mack, who the team traded to the Chargers in March. After spending his first two seasons in the league learning from Mack, Gipson will now have the opportunity to showcase what he can do as a pass rusher with his mentor gone.
When speaking with the media at voluntary minicamp on April 19, Gipson discussed what Mack’s presence meant to him as a young player, and it’s clear the now-departed veteran’s impact is vast.
“It sort of bothered me a little bit because I stole a lot of information from him,” Gipson said about Mack getting traded. “Well, I hate to use the word steal, but yeah, I learned a lot from Khalil, man. He paved the way with a lot of things and showed me right from wrong. How to do certain techniques, how to carry myself as a vet in this league. I was very appreciative for his presence.”
Based on the recent message he shared on his Instagram page, Gipson believes he’s ready to take the next step.
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Gipson Sends Strong Message on Instagram
In an Instagram post on April 27, Gipson put the league on notice. “Get accustomed to seeing this,” he captioned, along with several photos of himself celebrating a sack.
Gipson made some solid strides in his second season. In 489 snaps played last year, he had 27 pressures, 16 hurries and a quarterback hit, earning an 87.0 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus, up from the 63.4 grade he earned as a rookie in 2020.
He also had nine starts in 2021, filling in for an injured Mack after the veteran needed season-ending foot surgery. He performed well, finishing with 39 tackles, 7.0 sacks, seven tackles-for-loss, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups.
Gipson is also likely going to benefit from the new defensive scheme being installed by new head coach Matt Eberflus.
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Gipson Looking Forward to Eberflus’ New Defense
Eberflus will be switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense, which could benefit Gipson in a big way. After lining up as an outside linebacker his first two seasons with the Bears, Gipson will now do what he did at Tulsa: rush the passer with one hand in hand dirt as a defensive end.
“It’s actually more comfortable for me,” Gipson said about the 4-3 defense. “I can get off faster with my hand in the dirt. In a two-point [stance, as a standing LB], I’m looking around, there’s a bunch of movement in the backfield. I can create more explosion when I have a hand in the dirt, getting off in third down or whatever the case is. … less (pass) coverage. That’s something I worked on a lot in college, playing my last two years from 5-technique, getting back in the dirt and getting gritty.”
Considering Gipson finished his 2021 campaign strong, with 3.0 sacks and three forced fumbles in his final three games, it’ll be exciting to see what he can do as a full-time starter. He certainly seems ready for the challenge.
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