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Why Bears switched Whitehair and Daniels

Three years ago, the Bears thrust Cody Whitehair into the starting center position as a rookie.

So a surprise return to the position last week was nothing new for the fourth-year offensive lineman. Whitehair started at center through much of the past three season, including all of 2018, before flipping positions with left guard James Daniels prior to this season.

Until last week.

Whitehair made his return to center in a Week 10 win over the Detroit Lions, with Daniels moving back to left guard.

"I felt it went OK for the most part," Whitehair said. "Obviously, there was a few plays I wish I could have had back, but I'll get better this week.

"It's kind of like riding a bike. Obviously, there's a little rust there, but I'll knock it off and be better this week."

A number of factors led to the decision to switch Whitehair and Daniels midseason. The loss of guard Kyle Long to a hip injury thrust inexperienced Rashaad Coward - a converted defensive lineman - into the starting right guard position.

That meant that Daniels, in his second pro season, at center was slotted next to Coward, in his third year, but his first seeing game action on the offensive line.

"James is a really good football player, but he's learning on the job as a (22) year-old guy playing in the NFL and how many games he had at center," offensive line coach Harry Hiestand said. "This, we felt, gave us the best opportunity to balance things out and help build communication. ... We really had our two most experienced players playing next to each other once we lost Kyle."

For the time being, it appears Whitehair will remain at center. The two most inexperienced linemen (Daniels and Coward) will be blanketed on either side with experience - Whitehair at center, Bobby Massie at right tackle and Charles Leno at left tackle.

Hiestand noted that Daniels played well at the center position and left open the possibility that Daniels could return to center someday. The Bears liked him enough to invest a second-round draft pick in 2018 (39th overall).

For now, though, balancing the offensive line is a more pressing concern than who's snapping the ball.

"Those guys, James and Cody, are two of the best people you'll ever meet," Hiestand said. "Whatever's best for the team. It's just one of those things that once you realize it, that's what we need to do to move forward, you just embrace it."

In another wrinkle, the Bears have also incorporated more and more plays with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky under center, rather than in the shotgun. It's not a look the Bears used a lot in 2018.

Head coach Matt Nagy said Thursday that it was one thing they identified as they've been searching for answers offensively. Trubisky was rarely under center in college at North Carolina, but he was more frequently under center as a rookie with the Bears' previous coaching staff.

"He's done a good job with that," Nagy said. "He's adjusted well to it. ... There's a comfortability to that. I think there's positives to both (under center and shotgun), I really do."

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