Things didn’t exactly go to plan for the Bears in 2021. The optimism surrounding the beginning of the Justin Fields era quickly dissipated as Matt Nagy proved utterly incapable of getting this storied franchise back on track. Their 6-11 record was the worst of his tenure and he was fired along with GM Ryan Pace at the end of the season. Chicago will be hoping the new duo of Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles can do a better job.
Offseason additions and losses
The new front office is Chicago is clearly starting the rebuilding process and that begins by getting rid of big veteran contracts. The list of departures for the Bears is long and includes a number of notable names like Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack, Jimmy Graham, and Jason Peters. The team also let a number of receivers walk, including Allen Robinson, Jakeem Grant, and Damiere Byrd. With all of this money off the books the Bears are set to enter next offseason with a whopping $96 million in cap space.
In terms of replacements they have certainly taken a cost-effective approach. They have added five new wide receivers through free agency, though Byron Pringle is the only one earning more than $1 million in 2022. They also traded with the Patriots for N’Keal Harry and will hope he can have more success in Chicago than he did in New England. Lucas Patrick comes over from Green Bay and should provide a solid starter along the interior of their offensive line. Eberflus also brought over edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad from Indianapolis, who joins on a very reasonable two-year, $8 million deal.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 2.39 | Kyler Gordon – CB, Washington |
| 2.48 | Jaquan Brisker – S, Penn State |
| 3.71 | Velus Jones – WR, Tennessee |
| 5.168 | Braxton Jones – OT, Southern Utah |
| 5.174 | Dominique Robinson – EDGE, Miami (OH) |
| 6.186 | Zachary Thomas – OT, San Diego State |
| 6.203 | Trestan Ebner – RB, Baylor |
| 6.207 | Doug Kramer – IOL, Illinois |
| 7.226 | Ja’Tyre Carter – OT, Southern |
| 7.254 | Elijah Hicks – S, California |
| 7.255 | Trenton Gill – P, NC State |
The Bears surprised plenty of people by kicking off their draft with a pair of defensive picks. Gordon is a very talented corner who has the athletic ability and ball skills to be a nice complementary starter opposite Jaylon Johnson. Brisker was great value too and should start alongside Eddie Jackson. The move for Velus Jones was strange given the other talent available and the fact he turns 25 as a rookie. The one late round pick to keep an eye on is Dominique Robinson. The former wide receiver has flashed his potential off the edge and could develop into an impactful pass rusher in the NFL.
Offense
Things might not look great for the Bears in 2022 but they at least have Justin Fields. He showed flashes of his potential as a rookie despite less than ideal circumstances. Matt Nagy steadfastly refused to help his quarterback, running play action and screens at some of the lowest rates in the entire NFL. Despite this, Fields still managed to log a 6.1% big-time throw rate, which ranked fifth across the NFL. He also racked up 420 rushing yards at 5.8 yards per carry.
Outside of Fields there is some talent at running back. David Montgomery has been consistently reliable and Khalil Herbert showed some impressive form when he was used as a rookie. Once you look further afield than that though it is less encouraging. Wide receiver is terribly thin on talent. Darnell Mooney is the one notable name but he’s still not a player you can built your passing attack around. Cole Kmet is solid at tight end but hasn’t shown signs of being anything more. This is not the kind of supporting cast that will help a young quarterback.
The offensive line isn’t entirely convincing either. They weren’t great last season and since then they have lost their two best starters in Jason Peters and James Daniels. As things stand they have Braxton Jones penciled in at left tackle, with Riley Reiff opposite. The interior trio of Cody Whitehair, Lucas Patrick, and Michael Schofield isn’t great either. The painful lack of quality sets alarm bells ringing for Justin Fields’ prospects in 2022.
Defense
The Bears have changed approach with the hiring of Matt Eberflus, pivoting to a defensive-minded head coach. He wasted no time in adding reinforcements, with the most notable names coming through the draft. They may not have been the flashiest moves, but both Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon should be solid starters from the outset. They will help to improve a secondary that already has some nice pieces, including Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson.
The heart and soul of the defense is at linebacker, with All-Pro Roquan Smith. Smith led the NFL in defensive stops last season, having ranked second in 2020. He has also allowed the lowest passer rating at the position since 2019. Eberflus’ defense revolves around a do-it-all linebacker in the middle of the field and Smith is ideally suited to fill that role. The concern will be the ongoing contract dispute between Chicago and Smith, who has requested a trade. If he departs, this defense will look almost as bare as the offense.
The other big question mark facing Chicago’s defense in 2022 is whether they have sufficient firepower to win the trench battle. Robert Quinn made headlines with his 18 sacks in 2021, but he ranked just 37th in pressures and 42nd in pass rush win rate. Outside of him there is little else. Matt Eberflus’ defense relies on generating pressure with just four rushers – his Colts ranked 28th in blitz rate in 2021. If the Bears front four can’t deliver that pressure, it will put a tonne of pressure on their secondary.
Prediction
The new front office in Chicago is clearly determined to tear down the roster with a view to rebuilding in 2023. Whilst there is some long-term logic to that, it leaves the team woefully short of being competitive in 2022. They look set to have one of the worst offenses in football, and this defense isn’t exactly inspiring either. Don’t be surprised if Chicago are in contention for the No. 1 overall pick when all is said and done.
