Bear Necessities: What is Chicago’s biggest obstacle in 2022?

What’s the biggest obstacle for the Bears this season? Easy, their roster.

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The Chicago Bears have gotten off to a rough start to the 2022 season, which isn’t really a surprise considering they’re in the midst of a rebuild under new general manager Ryan Poles.

Chicago current sits at 2-4 through the first six weeks, where it’s been ugly at times. So what’s the biggest obstacle for the Bears this season? Easy, their unimpressive roster.

Here’s what ESPN’s Courtney Cronin had to say:

The Bears are in the beginning stages of a rebuild. The roster is their biggest obstacle to making the playoffs, and frankly, Chicago is nowhere near ready to think about life in the playoffs. That’s never been a realistic expectation for the 2022 season. Marginal improvement that can carry over week to week — like the second-half performance Justin Fields strung together against Minnesota en route to single-game highs in completion percentage and passer rating — is the focal point for a team with a QB in the developmental stage of his career without the adequate talent around him to take the team to the next level.

There have been some legitimate concerns about the development of quarterback Justin Fields, who looks like he’s regressed in his second season. There’s plenty of blame to go around — the offensive line, wide receivers, a first-year play caller in Luke Getsy and even Fields himself.

But the talent disparity is rather noticeable, and it’s not a recipe for success for a young quarterback. Poles didn’t invest a whole lot on the offensive side of things, choosing to overhaul the roster and sign a lot of one-year, inexpensive deals.

This season isn’t about winning, it’s about development. But you could argue it’s hard to develop a young quarterback with an inadequate supporting cast.

Things should be different in 2023, when the Bears are slated to have north of $100 million in salary cap space and a likely top-10 draft selection.

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