Chicago Bears 2022-2023 Season Preview

Can Justin Fields bounce back from a tough rookie season?  Do the Bears have any chance to make the postseason?

The Chicago Bears were one of the NFL’s worst teams in 2021, finishing with the league’s seventh-worst record at 6-11.  They were also one of only two teams who finished with a bottom-ten record to not have a top-ten pick in the NFL Draft.

 

The Bears previously traded their 2021 first-round pick and fifth-round pick along with their 2022 first-round pick and fourth-round pick to the New York Giants in order to move up nine spots, from 20th to 11th, and draft Justin Fields.  The Denver Broncos were the other team to finish in the bottom-ten, but not draft in the top-ten, however they used their pick to acquire a far more accomplished quarterback, Russell Wilson.

 

When you are moving multiple valuable assets for a quarterback, whether through the draft or for a veteran, the goal is for them to either elevate you to a championship level, be the final piece of a championship roster, or be the quarterback of the future.

 

The Broncos expect Wilson to elevate them to a championship level, while the Los Angeles Rams, who acquired Matthew Stafford, won the Super Bowl because they correctly felt that he was the final piece of a championship roster.  The Bears took a chance moving up for Fields with the hope that he will be the starting quarterback in Chicago for many years.

Can Fields take a big step forward in his second season?

As a rookie, Fields looked nothing like the quarterback that dominated college football to the tune of 86 total touchdowns and just 9 interceptions.  He had just 9 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions while winning only two of his ten starts.

 

Although Fields was supposed to backup Andy Dalton during 2021, he ended up being thrown into the fire as Dalton went down with an injury in Week 2.  Unfortunately for Fields, the Bears offensive line was the worst pass blocking line in the league, as they gave up the most sacks.  He also didn’t have many weapons at the skill positions.

 

Going into year two, not much has changed, as the Bears didn’t do much to address the offensive line.  They didn’t draft a lineman until the fifth round, and their only key addition was offensive guard Lucas Patrick, who they signed to replace a more productive James Daniels, one of their best lineman from 2021.  The Bears also have yet to bring back offensive tackle Jason Peters, who was arguably their best lineman.

 

The Bears ability to protect Fields will be very dependent on the development of 2021 second-round pick Teven Jenkins.  If Jenkins is unable to take a step forward, it could be much of the same as 2021 for Fields, who will likely face collapsed pockets and a lot of pressure.

 

It is often said that situation can sometimes be more important than talent in the NFL, and Fields may not have a true opportunity to show off his talent in Chicago, due to the poor situation around him.  That isn’t to say that he doesn’t deserve blame for his struggles, but it is hard for any quarterback, much less a rookie, to be successful with no talent around him.

 

Unfortunately for Fields, the general manager, Ryan Pace, and head coach, Matt Nagy, that made the decision to move up for him are no longer with the Bears, as both were fired the day after their season ended.  Usually, a highly drafted quarterback has several years to make an impact, however, new regimes often bring in their own guy.  Incoming general manager, Ryan Poles, and head coach, Matt Eberflus, could look to do just this, particularly if the Bears end up with a chance at drafting Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.

 

While Fields showed plenty of promise before entering the league, if he doesn’t show significant improvement, regardless of the talent around him, and the new regime feels Young or Stroud have higher upside, Fields’ time in Chicago could be short-lived.  We recently saw a similar situation take place with the Arizona Cardinals, who moved up to draft Josh Rosen, only to end up with the #1 overall pick the following year and select Kyler Murray, moving Rosen in the process.  Rosen has yet to get another legitimate chance in the NFL and remains unsigned after spending his first four seasons with five franchises.

 

As great as Fields was in college, it’s almost impossible to imagine him losing the starting job in Chicago after just one year, but if he doesn’t give the front office belief that he can be their quarterback of the future, they can easily move on, particularly since their fates aren’t tied to his success.

Do the Bears have any chance to make the postseason?

The Bears were one of the offseason’s biggest losers.  Outside of not having a first-round pick and losing their two best offensive linemen, they also lost wide receiver Allen Robinson, as he signed with the Rams.  They also traded star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers, while losing defensive tackles Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.

 

The lack of talent, as well as the losses, leave the Bears with one of the worst rosters, on paper, in the NFL.  Their Super Bowl odds, +15000, reflect this, as the Bears are tied with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks for the third-worst odds to win the Super Bowl, ahead of only the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons.  The Bears are currently +6500 to win the NFC, which are the third-worst odds in the conference, ahead of only the Falcons and Seahawks.

 

As far as winning the NFC North, the Bears odds sit at +1400, which are the worst odds in the division.  They are being given +400 odds to make the postseason, with an over/under win total of just 6.5 wins.

 

It is not hard to see why the Bears are currently expected to be in competition for the first overall pick rather than the postseason.  Their roster is lacking in proven talent, and they won’t have the benefit of facing a last place schedule.  If Fields is unable to take a step forward in his development, it could be a very long season in Chicago.