Considering the Chicago Bears’ lackluster 8-8 performance last season, it’s not a surprise that there’s not a whole lot of confidence surrounding the team heading into 2020.
The Bears landed at No. 23 in SI’s post-free agency power rankings, which is miles below the Packers at No. 5 and Vikings at No. 15 — but ahead of the Lions at No. 28.
Finally, the Bears said it: There’s an open competition at QB! After winning the division in 2018, the Bears and Mitchell Trubisky took a major step back last season. Chicago’s trade for former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles was my favorite offseason move. Either Foles wins the job, or Trubisky rises to the occasion. Both are a step forward for the Bears.
While the Bears did lose some pieces on defense — including the departures of linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and defensive tackle Nick Williams — defense isn’t the concern when discussing Chicago.
The Bears offense didn’t get much better this offseason, although general manager Ryan Pace appears to be banking on the offense doing just enough to win, which would be more than enough for the Bears’ dominant defense.
Although the biggest factor in the success of the Bears in 2020 will be the quarterback position, where Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles will compete for the starting job. Foles has experience in an offense similar to Matt Nagy’s, and Trubisky should hopefully step up to the challenge that comes with the competition.
Regardless of who lines up under center for Chicago in 2020, there are other issues on offense — among them offensive line and tight end — that must be addressed for the unit to succeed. Or, at the very least, take a step forward after being one of the worst offenses in the NFL in 2019.
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