LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears are on the clock. And all eyes are on general manager Ryan Bowles.
The Bears enter the offseason with the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second straight year and big questions about the future of the franchise, with Caleb Williams and Drake May on the cards should they decide to move on from quarterback Justin Fields. The future of coach Matt Eberflus is also in doubt.
But the Bears also insisted they have established a winning foundation this season and put themselves in position to compete in the NFC North next year, despite a lackluster loss to Green Bay on Sunday.
“There are games that you can pinpoint, like, 'Dang, if that's a different result, you're talking about an 11-win season right there,'” receiver DJ Moore said Monday after his exit interview with Poles and Eberflus.
The Bears finished 7-10 in their second season under Poles and Eberflus after posting a league-worst 3-14 record last year.
They were a mess early, losing their first four games and seven of their first nine. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned in September and running backs coach David Walker was fired in November.
But the Bears steadied themselves. A defense that was among the worst at the start of the season improved with Eberflus calling plays and defensive end Montez Sweat arriving in a midseason trade. The Bears have blown double-digit leads in the fourth quarter in three of their losses. But they also won five of seven before the disappointing finish.
The future of the fields
The Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 to Carolina and got a big sum in return, including a first-rounder for Moore and the Panthers this year. This turned out to be the No. 1 pick as Carolina finished a league-worst 2-15, giving the Bears a chance to land a potential franchise-changing QB.
Another possibility is to keep Fields and trade the No. 1 pick for the kind of huge spoils they got a year ago. They could still be in a position to draft Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State under this scenario and give themselves another dynamic receiver to go with Moore.
Another possible consideration is the salary cap. Either Williams or May will be on a club-friendly rookie contract.
Fields' three seasons were marked by big plays with his arm and legs, but little consistency as a passer. He has thrown for 200 yards or more just 13 times in 40 games and has one 300-yard passing game in his career.
Fields showed some improvement in the pocket this season and racked up a career-high 2,562 receiving yards. But he was 22nd in the NFL with a passer rating of 86.3.
Moore said Monday that he would like to see Fields return for a fourth season. But he also acknowledged the potential a quarterback drafted with the No. 1 pick would bring. He mentioned Joe Burrow, who struggled as a rookie with Cincinnati after being drafted first overall in 2020 before emerging as one of the league's best quarterbacks.
“Nobody really wants to start over and have a losing season again or maybe have, 'What was the Bengals' quarterback when he got out? Joe Burrow? You could have that kind of season,'” Moore said. “You never know. . It's hit or miss. We'll have to wait and see.”
Eberflus endorsement
Race gave Eberflus his full endorsement.
“Clever,” he said. “He's innovative. He listens to his players. He trusts his instincts and trusts his players. I would love to see Floss back.”
At 10-24, Eberflus had the third-worst winning percentage in the history of the founding NFL franchise. Only John Fox (14-34 from 2015-2017) and Abby Gibron (11-30-1 from 1972-1974) stand behind him.
More of that
Moore set career highs with 96 receptions, 1,364 yards and eight touchdown catches in one of the best seasons by a Bears receiver.
He had the fourth-highest total in franchise history in yards and was eighth in receptions.
Stacking bags
Sweat set a career-high with 12 1/2 sacks and became the first player to lead two teams in sacks in the same season, with 6 1/2 in eight games for Washington and six in nine games for Chicago.
“Man, those are great stats,” Sweat said. “Surprised it was never done, I guess. But actually, when I look at it, I feel like I've left a lot of meat on the bone, so I'll analyze that over the offseason and come back ready to go.”
Next steps
Assuming the Poles' job is secure, the most pressing question is whether Eberflus will return. If he returns, which members of his team will he keep?
The future of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is in question. The offense ranked 20th in yards per game and 27th in passing yards.
The other question is whether Eberflus will continue to call the defense after taking over as coordinator following Williams' resignation. The Bears' defense went from one of the worst in the league to one of the best units, thanks to Eberflus' more aggressive play calling and the Sweat trade. Chicago tied for the league lead with 22 interceptions.
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Andrew Seligman, The Associated Press
