Are The Bears on the Come Up?
The Chicago Bears entered their 2022-2023 season as a team in transition. This offseason, the Bears chose to move on from head coach, Matt Nagy, who had just come off a 6-11 finish in 2021. With his departure, Chicago brought in defense-minded coach Matt Eberflus, who had established a top-10 defense in Indianapolis during his tenure. While their 3-7 record may not reflect it, the Bears have shown significant promise this season under Eberflus. With the development of first round quarterback Justin Fields, Chicago’s young talent, and the surplus of capital they have to spend this offseason, Chicago could be primed for a big jump in 2023.
Fields entered an impossible situation when he came to Chicago in 2021. Going into his rookie season, the Bears had the 22nd ranked offensive line and only two legitimate receiving options. This lack of offensive talent paired with Fields' youth led to an abysmal 4-9 rookie season, where he earned a pitiful 58.9 completion percentage and 7-10 touchdown to interception ratio. This led many to write off the young quarterback and question the Bears decision to draft him. During the offseason, the Bears made his situation worse, as they failed to sign one significant player on either side of the ball. As a result, their offensive line regressed to 32nd in the league and their overall team came in at 25th according to ESPN. Nonetheless, ten games into 2022, Justin Fields has overcome this adversity, and has blossomed into one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league. Field leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards with a remarkable 749 yards, along with a much improved 12-7 touchdown to interception ratio. With key role players in place and a big-time addition midseason, along with a plethora of capital this offseason, the Bears should be able to surround their rising star with the talent needed to take him and the franchise to the next level.
While Chicago’s roster lacks elite talent, they’ve done a solid job of drafting young prospects who can serve as legitimate role players on a winning team. On the offensive side of the ball, they drafted Khalil Herbert who has proven to be effective despite the Bears poor offensive line play. He has tallied an elite 6 yards per carry, with 643 total yards on the year. Additionally, they were able to draft two highly-touted pass catchers in tight end Cole Kmet and wideout Darnell Mooney. Both showed great promise in 2021, as Cole Kmet caught 60 balls on 612 yards along with Mooney posting an impressive 1055 yards on 81 catches.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears have done a wonderful job of building up their secondary through the draft. This young secondary is headed by pro bowl safety Eddie Jackson, followed by safety Jaquan Brisker and corner Jaylon Johnson. And let’s not forget about their young second round pick from a year ago, Kyler Gordon. Though he has struggled in his rookie season as a starter, he has shown flashes of potential as the year has progressed. While the Bears have accumulated promising young talent, they have failed to do so on their offensive and defensive lines. All NFL teams know the key to success in this league starts with the guys upfront.
Despite their lackluster line, Chicago comes into this year with an abundance of capital to fix this issue. While Chicago’s decision to trade core pieces in Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn have led many to question the Bear’s front office, they have set themselves up well for a lucrative offseason. The Bears will have eight draft picks, including one in the top-10 for the 2023 draft. Not to mention, the acquisition of 24-year old star wideout Chase Claypool, who they got with one of their 2023 second round picks. Claypool will immediately fill the role of their number one receiver, providing Fields a potentially elite weapon on the outside. Additionally, the Bears will also lead the league in cap space this coming offseason with a whopping $110.8 million dollars. With this amount of money and picks, the Bears will be more than equipped to bring in premier talent on both sides of the ball, specifically in the trenches, for a young Justin Fields.
Over the last two decades the Bears have been a streaky team due to inconsistency at the quarterback position. Whether it was Rex Grossman, Jay Cutler, or more recently, Mitch Trubisky they’ve never had a special talent as their QB1. Now with Justin Fields, it seems as if they have a player who could potentially be one of the best in the league. This offseason, they’ll have the opportunity to build around their franchise player and provide him the protection and talent needed to go on a run in 2023 and beyond. While talk is cheap and the Bears brass will have to prove that they can surround him with legitimate talent. There’s no doubt the Bears have the resources available to be considered a legitimate contender, with Justin Fields at the center.