The Chicago Bears had a rough year in 2022, which was to be expected with the team in the midst of a rebuild under new general manager Ryan Poles. But the fact that the Bears appear to have found their franchise QB in Justin Fields certainly helped ease the pain — and gives fans optimism for 2023 and beyond.
There are plenty of things that the Bears need to address this offseason to better their football team for the upcoming season — which starts with building around Fields. But for Chicago to get back on track, they’re going to need to do several things this offseason.
Here are our New Year’s resolutions for the Bears in 2023:
1
Get Justin Fields a No. 1 receiver
When you look at young quarterbacks who have taken a step forward, the one common denominator is that their teams have gone out and gotten them a No. 1 receiver. And no one needs a top wideout more than Fields, who’s been playing with arguably the worst receiving corp. in the league. Darnell Mooney has been his top option, and Chicago went out and traded for Chase Claypool before the trade deadline. So the hope is both of them can be reliable targets in 2023. But you really want the Bears to go out and make a move for a true game changer at receiver. There aren’t any set to hit free agency, but there could be several that could be on the trade block.
2
Retool the offensive line
The Bears have found their quarterback in Justin Fields. Now, they need to get him better protection up front. Fields is among the most-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL in his first two seasons, and the offensive line has a number of holes to address this offseason. There should be competition at every position this offseason, where Teven Jenkins feels like a safe bet to return at right guard, where he’s thrived this season. Everything from tackle to center to guard should be up for grabs. But it doesn’t help that two of the top free agent options are now off the board for the Bears (as Elgton Jenkins and Jack Conklin signed extensions). There are still some intriguing names set to hit the open market, including left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Mike McGlinchey. But the NFL draft will provide opportunities to shore up this offensive line.
3
Find a dominant three-technique to make this defense go
Matt Eberflus has described the three-technique role in this defense as “the engine that makes everything go.” The Bears need a true game wrecker in that position, and there are a number of options in both free agency and the NFL draft. Chicago has been linked to Georgia’s Jalen Carter, arguably the top prospect in the draft. He’s certainly a young, generational talent that Eberflus could build his defense around. But there are also options in free agency, including Washington’s Da’ron Payne and Philadelphia’s Javon Hargrave, who would both fit the bill as that dominant 3-tech along the interior.
4
Address concerns at edge rusher
Chicago’s pass rush has been the worst in the NFL this season, as they have a league-low 18 sacks in 15 games. After trading both Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn during the calendar year, Ryan Poles needs to find a replacement off the edge. Assuming the Bears stay put with their projected top-two selection, they could certainly elect to take a generational edge rusher in Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., who’s been compared to Mack. Chicago also has plenty of salary cap space to work with, where there are options like Indianapolis’ Yannick Ngakoue and New Orleans’ Marcus Davenport.
5
Hire the right person as Bears' new President/CEO
Bears President/CEO Ted Phillips announced that he will step down after this 2022 season, which mean the team has an important role to fill. According to ESPN, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has emerged as a favorite for the job, and he’s already interviewed with the Bears. While Warren doesn’t have extensive football knowledge like Phillips, he certainly knows more than Phillips. Warren has 21 years of NFL experience working for the Lions and Vikings before taking the job as the Big Ten commissioner. With the Bears gearing up to make headway on their new Arlington Heights stadium, Warren would make a lot of sense as he played an integral role in the building of Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016.
6
Make headway on the Arlington Heights stadium
Speaking of the Bears’ new stadium project, things are expected to really hit the ground running in 2023. Bears President/CEO Ted Phillips previously said they expected to close on the land later in 2022 or early 2023. Once that sale goes through, things should hopefully start moving quickly. The team has already unveiled conceptual plans for the Arlington Heights property, which includes more than just a new stadium. The Bears have a lease with Soldier Field that expires after 2033, but they could opt out in 2026 for an $84 million penalty and make the move to Arlington Heights.
7
Get back on the right side of the Packers rivalry
Until the Bears make good on this, it’s always going to be a resolution. Chicago has lost eight straight dating back to 2019. They need to get back on the winning side of this rivalry with the Packers, and it certainly feels like we could finally be turning the tide. If Aaron Rodgers is done in Green Bay, the Bears have arguably the best quarterback in the division in Justin Fields (and hopefully this team will build around him). Fields promised the Bears would get back on the right side of this rivalry “sooner rather than later,” and hopefully 2023 is the start of that.
8
Contend for the playoffs in 2023
We’ve seen plenty of examples of teams going from worst to first, and the Bears have been among them. While no one’s expecting the Bears to be Super Bowl contenders next season, there’s no reason why they can’t be in the mix for the postseason just one season after a rough 2022. Chicago has their franchise QB in Justin Fields; they’re slated to have north of $120 million in salary cap space; and they’re projected to have a top-two draft pick. We’ve seen how this Matt Eberflus-led team has competed all season, despite the roster deficiencies. This team plays with a ton of effort and no-quit. Now imagine what this team could do with some more talent on the roster.
