The Chicago Bears are in the midst of a pivotal 2023 offseason, where general manager Ryan Poles has plenty of work to do with this roster.
On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are going head-to-head in Super Bowl LVII as the NFL’s top seeds. And it’s hard not to wonder just far away the Bears are from contending for a championship.
While Chicago had the worst record in the league (3-14), seven of their losses came by one score. And that was with the NFL’s worst roster. It certainly helps that quarterback Justin Fields emerged as one of the league’s most electric players, keeping the Bears in games against some of the top teams.
Is Chicago really that far off from contending for a Super Bowl? Here’s what needs to happen for the Bears to get on the right track for a title:
1
Stick with Justin Fields
There’s been plenty of trade speculation involving Justin Fields because the Bears have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But Chicago would be silly to move on from Fields after what he showed during his second season. With a depleted roster — including one of the worst pass-blocking offensive lines and an underwhelming group of receivers — Fields still managed to carry this offense on his backs, rather, his legs. Fields showed he’s capable of being the kind of playmaking quarterback Bears fans have been dreaming about for decades. Does he need to improve in the passing game? Absolutely. But it’s hard to truly evaluate Fields before you surround him with an adequate roster. While you can guarantee GM Ryan Poles will do his due diligence in the pre-draft process, he did say he’d need to be “blown away” to take a quarterback. Translation? Fields isn’t going anywhere. As it should be.
2
Ryan Poles needs to hit in free agency
When Ryan Poles was hired as general manager, he came in with a plan to rebuild the roster. That involved tearing it down to the foundation, which included the Bears trading away or released aging veterans with big cap hits — or players that simply weren’t going to be part of the future. Now, Chicago essentially controls free agency with an estimated $99 million in salary cap space, the most in the NFL (by a wide margin), in 2023. The Bears have a bunch of holes on the roster, but Poles has the resources to make some impact additions. But it’s not just about having the money. Poles needs to hit on his free agent acquisitions. When looking at last year’s free agent class, it was an underwhelming one. Poles’ most notable additions were defensive tackle Justin Jones and linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who may or may not factor into a starting role on the team in 2023. If the Bears are going to be contenders, Poles is going to need to make each move count and bring in veterans who will help elevate this team.
3
...and the NFL draft
Even more important than hitting on those veteran signings in free agency is building through the draft, something Poles stressed is a focal point for him (especially coming from the Chiefs organization). And while Poles didn’t excel in free agency, he managed to find some impact rookies in his first year as Chicago’s GM. Poles’ most impactful rookies were second-round safety Jaquan Brisker and fifth-round left tackle Braxton Jones. Undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn, in his short stint, proved to be a significant contributor and should factor into a starting role moving forward. Second-round cornerback Kyler Gordon, third-round receiver Velus Jones Jr. and fifth-round defensive end Dominique Robinson also showed promise in their rookie years. While Poles isn’t going to hit on every draft pick, it’s important that he finds the kind of contributors that will help elevate this team. This year, the Bears have the No. 1 pick in the draft. The expectation is Poles will look to trade back from the top spot and acquire additional picks. But it’s what Poles does with those selections that’s important.
4
Shore up the trenches
The Bears have too many holes to count. But their biggest need comes in the trenches with the defensive line and offensive line. Chicago’s defensive line was arguably the worst in the league, where Justin Jones was the only player worth bringing back next season. And, even then, there’s no guarantee. The defensive line didn’t make things easy on the Bears’ secondary, which found itself depleted by injuries as the season wore on. The Bears offensive line thrived in run blocking — for the NFL’s best run game — but they struggled to keep Fields upright. Fields was sacked 55 times in 15 games, which is tied for most in the NFL. While Fields was responsible for some of those, it was obvious that the line was a detriment to the offense’s success in the passing game. There are options to address both in free agency and the NFL draft. And that should be the prime focus for Poles as the offseason begins.
5
Generate a pass rush
Chicago had the NFL’s worst pass rush last season, where they totaled just 20 sacks in 17 games. No one expected the Bears to have one of the better pass rushes with the departures of key veterans like Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, but it was downright ugly. Al-Quadin Muhammad was one of the biggest free-agent disappointments, Trevis Gipson didn’t find the same production with a dominant guy opposite him and rookie Dominique Robinson remains a developmental player. Chicago’s lack of a pass rush made it easy on opposing quarterbacks to sit back there and pick on a secondary that was ravaged by injuries. The fact that safety Jaquan Brisker led the team in sacks (4) says it all. Improving the pass rush should be a focal point for Poles, who can find some intriguing options both in free agency and the NFL draft, be it off the edge or from the interior.
6
Get better in the passing game
To say Chicago struggled in the passing game this season would be a gross understatement. The Bears had the worst passing offense for the entire season — and it wasn’t even close. Chicago averaged 130.5 passing yards per game. Fields’ best passing game of the season came in Week 15 against the Packers, where he completed 80 percent of his passes for 254 yards. Interestingly enough, he also threw two interceptions. Fields failed to eclipse 300 passing yards in a game this season, and he only cleared 200 yards two times. There were a number of contributing factors, including the offensive line, pass catchers and Fields himself. Fields said a focal point for him this offseason is improving in the short passing game. Given Fields’ playmaking ability on the ground, once he gets things going through the air, this Bears offense can be electric.
7
Take the NFC North (and never give it back)
When Poles met with the media for the first time as Bears general manager, he listed his goals for the franchise, including this gem: “We’re going to take the (NFC) North and never give it back.” To be fair, Chicago hasn’t taken the division (yet), so Poles’ goal is still on the table. If the Bears are going to contend for a title, they need to be able to take care of business inside their own division. In Poles and Matt Eberflus’ first season, Chicago went 0-6 in their division getting swept by the Packers, Vikings and Lions. When you look at the current state of the NFC North, it’s essentially up for grabs. Here’s where the Bears take the crown and try to never give it back.
8
Find a way to close out games
The Bears might’ve had the worst record in the NFL, but they certainly didn’t look like the worst team in the league. When looking at their 14 losses, seven of them were by one score. If Chicago had been able to pull out those wins, they would’ve been a 10-7 team that landed a playoff berth. But the Bears struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter, where all seven of those one-score losses came because Chicago made costly mistakes or simply couldn’t get it done. That needs to be a focus heading into 2023. One thing you couldn’t say about this Eberflus-led team is that they didn’t compete. Eberflus managed to get the most out of a depleted roster that was the worst in the league. And still, they were giving some of the best teams in the NFL, including the Eagles and Bills, a scare because of that effort. It really makes you wonder just how good this team can be when you add some more talent to this roster.
