The 2023 season saw improvement for the 7-10 Chicago Bears. The previous season, they had finished 3–14, and they frequently lost contact with their opponents. They not only more than doubled their winning total, but in three of their four losses, they led by double digits in the fourth quarter. The Bears would have had a 10-7 record and would have qualified for the playoffs if they had not choked away those games.
But the Bears, led by general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, still have a ways to go. They undoubtedly possess the resources necessary to move up the ladder significantly. Because of their deal with the Carolina Panthers last year, they have the #1 pick in the NFL draft. They may trade the pick for a package of picks and experienced players, or they could use it to choose a new quarterback.
They must choose whether they think Justin Fields has what it takes to become a signal caller worthy of a championship. MVP candidate Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens is the only quarterback who can run as well as Fields, who is an exceptional athlete. Fields does not pass the ball as skilfully or accurately as Jackson does, though.
Luke Getsy, the offensive coordinator, has left the Bears. Does that mean the new offensive coordinator will be coming to Chicago to upgrade Fields, or does it mean the Bears will bring in a new coordinator who can work with a rookie quarterback like Caleb Williams of USC?
The Bears need to decide whether to bring back or allow other free agents go on the market, but that is still up in the air.
Darnell Mooney, a wide receiver, Justin Jones, a defensive end, and cornerback Jaylon Johnson are among those free agents.
Johnson was among the top players on the Bears defence, which saw significant improvement as the season went on.
In 2022, the Bears’ defence was ranked 29th; but, in 2023, they showed great improvement, finishing 12th in yards allowed per game. The work they did in opposition to the run was even more amazing. In 2022, Chicago’s run defence was ranked 31st; however, by playing as the hardest club in the league to run against in the previous season, that ranking was drastically improved.
Even if opposition quarterbacks’ big passing plays may have contributed to some of that, the Bears defence was far better than it had been.
Johnson was largely responsible for that advancement. 36 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 4 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble were his season totals. Johnson could have had more interceptions if he hadn’t dropped multiple catchable passes. He recovered one of those interceptions for a touchdown.
