The Chicago Bears have been one of the worst teams in the NFL since their last playoff appearance in 2018, where they’ve gone through several quarterbacks who just haven’t worked out.
Now, they’ve brought in rookie Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, and they are hoping that they finally have their guy. He showed the potential to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL with his play in college. Now, it’s up to Chicago to develop him.
The Bears have done something that they didn’t do with any of the other quarterbacks drafted in the first round: they built a strong foundation for the rookie. A lot of great weapons have been acquired that will put Williams in a great position to hit the ground running in the NFL, including receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett.
The defense took a big step in the back half of the 2023 season after adding Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat. Now, they look like a unit that can help them win games, featuring a strong linebacker corp. and secondary.
The expectation for this Bears team should be to make the playoffs as early as this 2024 season. There is no excuse for them to think it isn’t possible. The players need to expect it and the front office needs to act on it. The vibes surrounding the team right now seem to suggest that they are all in on trying to be a playoff contender.
If they ultimately miss but were competitive all year, that would be a great step. People can tell the difference between coming close and not coming close despite the record. With the NFC North carrying four good teams right now, it will be difficult. However, succeeding within the division would make being a playoff team even better.
If the Bears don’t believe they are a playoff team, who will? It needs to be the mentality. Now is not the time to waste all of the good talent that is on the roster.