There are plenty of players who have really stepped up for the Chicago Bears this season.

One that comes to mind is cornerback Nahshon Wright, who has been a lifesaver in the secondary with the injuries to Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon earlier this season. Wright has five interceptions, 67 total tackles, three TFLs and two forced fumbles.

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He stripped the ball away from Josh Jacobs in Saturday’s 22-16 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers. The Bears held the Packers to a 0-5 mark in the red zone, in part due to his efforts.

However, one player on the Bears has an underappreciated role this season. Josh Blackwell has been a star on special teams for Chicago numerous times in 2025.

On Saturday night, he recovered the onside kick that set up Chicago’s game-tying drive to force overtime.

The ball hit Romeo Doubs in the hands, and Blackwell was there to recover it.

This isn’t the first time that Blackwell has had a hand in the Bears’ win. Back in Week 4, he blocked the game-winning field goal, giving the Bears the 25-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Then, in the 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings, he also had a decisive play. He had the block on Devin Duvernay’s kickoff return that gave the Bears excellent field position, allowing them to cruise down the field into Cairo Santos’ range for the game-winner.

Blackwell played college football at Duke from 2018-2021. He didn’t start his NFL career with the Bears right away.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022, but he was waived after not making the final roster cuts. The Bears signed him off waivers just one day after the Eagles let him go.

His role on this team may seem small and insignificant to some, but that could not be further from the truth. Having a valuable special-teams player like Blackwell on your roster is a massive plus.

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Caleb Williams and others are responsible for the Bears’ comeback wins, but Blackwell deserves plenty of recognition, too.

The Bears are now 11-4 after Saturday’s win and look ahead to the San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 17. After that, the Bears face the Detroit Lions to conclude the regular season.

The 49ers currently hold onto the No. 6 seed after the Los Angeles Rams were beaten by the Seattle Seahawks 38-37 on Thursday Night Football.

The Bears and 49ers kick off next Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock.