It’s hard to sum up how this Chicago Bears season went with one word. But, if you asked us to do it in one sentence, we’d probably have an easier time. And in that case, we would say:
They’re on the right track.
It’s not really up for much debate. If you ask any Bears fan who’s paid any attention this year there’s a good chance they would say the same. After all that’s happened in 2022 during the Chicago Bears season, let’s dive right into the positives, negatives, and everything in between!
Let’s Start With The Bad…
Given the sentence we used to describe the Chicago Bears season above, it’s difficult for us to find much that went wrong with the year. So let’s start with something easy.
They missed the postseason. For the second year in a row too. That’s a simple thing to point to as a negative, but did anyone really peg them as a playoff contender this season? We didn’t if we’re being completely honest. It just wasn’t going to happen with a whole new regime leading the way. And that’s okay.
Plus, if you really start to connect the dots, losing only helps teams looking to build for the future. Losing equates to better draft picks. Better draft picks – in theory – equate to better, younger, talent for your team to work with. And better, younger talent should equate to more winning down the road. As it currently stands according to ESPN, the Bears have the second highest chance to earn the number 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft behind the Houston Texans with an 8.5% chance. They also have an 86.7% chance to receive a top-five pick, and are a near lock for a top-ten selection with 99.4% of a chance there.
So, losing isn’t the end of the world, and neither is missing the postseason. In our eyes, the truly sole negative for this Chicago Bears season was the fact that we couldn’t beat the Packers, and have yet to win against anyone in the NFC North for that matter. Our last two games of the season are against the Lions and Vikings though, but we’d take two more losses there too if it led to drafting first overall!
Where the Chicago Bears Season Went Right
We kind of already spoke to this earlier, but losing is one place where the Chicago Bears season went right this year.
Another thing that went well were the performances and progress we saw in Justin Fields sophomore season. It took a few games for him to get things going, but by around week 6, Fields really started punishing teams with his legs. Although it didn’t always lead to wins and he got a couple bumps and bruises along the way, Justin Fields seriously proved that he’s our guy going forward. He was nine feet away from rushing for 150 yards in back-to-back games, and one of those games included him breaking Micheal Vick’s single-game quarterback rushing record.
On top of Fields’ play and the soon-to-be top draft pick in 2023, another positive outcome from this Chicago Bears season was the draft capital they built at the NFL Trade Deadline. No one liked seeing Roquan Smith moved to the Baltimore Ravens, but when you consider the stalemate that was the contract negotiations between Smith and the front office, it made sense for the long term. Between the Roquan Smith trade and Robert Quinn trade with the Eagles, the team acquired three extra draft picks in 2023 – a second rounder, fourth rounder, and fifth rounder. We certainly expect Poles to have a busy offseason, especially when the 2023 NFL Draft starts on April 27.
Looking Forward To 2023
All-in-all, given the way things are shaping up for this team, we have plenty to look forward to down the road. Not only are things promising for 2023, but they appear to be promising for many future Chicago Bears seasons that are to come.
Justin Fields is our quarterback, and we’re stocked up on assets heading into next year’s draft that’s a little over four months away. At this point, the only thing left to root for is a healthy group of guys and maybe a couple more losses here and there, just to secure our spot at the top of the draft.
It feels like a strange thing to root for, but for the future of the Chicago Bears, it’s what we need to do!
Featured Image Credit: Chicago Bears Instagram