Chicago Bears

Bears are comfortable starting a pair of rookies at safety

Published Oct. 22, 2015 9:46 a.m. ET

foxsports

Safeties are a team's last line of defense, so usually you want them to be savvy veterans who won't easily be fooled for long gains. That's not the case for the Chicago Bears, though, as they're starting a pair of rookies back there.

Fifth-round rookie Adrian Amos has been starting all season. Harold Jones-Quarterly, an undrafted rookie who was claimed off waivers from Arizona before the season, stepped into the starting lineup after Antrel Rolle sprained his ankle in Week 4.

Amos, in particular, has impressed Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell, who said the following about the Penn State product, via ESPN's Jeff Dickerson:

Amos has been just so steady and mature beyond his years. He’s been that way 24/7 in everything that he does and in every meeting. He’s very calm. And you can see he was listening to Antrel [Rolle]. You can tell that when Antrel went out there wasn’t as big of a drop off in communication as there might have been. There was some drop off, but Amos is a real student of the game and very composed.

Donatell is also impressed with the progress Jones-Quarterly has made in a short period of time, per ESPN:

The first thing is I like to think that the players around him helped. I think when you come into an environment where the chemistry is good around you it helps you get up to speed. But he’s focused and football is very, very important to him. He’s just grown a lot in two weeks.

While Amos and Jones-Quarterly have shown plenty of promise in the early stages of their respective careers, the Bears really need their young secondary to start creating some turnovers. Chicago only has three interceptions this season (tied for fourth fewest), and all three of those passes were picked off by linebackers.