At the start of the 2021 NFL offseason, uncertainty was one phrase used to describe the Chicago Bears franchise. The Bears had an aging defense, no long-term solution at quarterback, and soured relations with wide receiver Allen Robinson, one of the franchise’s best players. Fast forward to May, the defense may still be getting older, but the Chicago at least has a long-term solution at quarterback in Justin Fields.
When looking at the Bears offseason, Chicago admitted its mistakes this offseason, especially head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. By letting former second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky hit free agency, Pace admitted that the former North Carolina quarterback was a miss. Compared to last offseason, this is a big step forward for Pace as an evaluator because the seventh-year GM is finally learning to cut losses and move on instead of forcing and hoping everything works out.
Then there’s Nagy, who many labeled an offensive guru four years ago. That title hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype. Nagy didn’t only flop with Trubisky, he was a reason that the franchise traded for Nick Foles last offseason, guaranteeing Foles $21M in the process while giving up a fourth-round pick.
The Bears’ experiment with Foles didn’t exactly work out either. In seven starts, Foles would win just two games, throw 10 touchdowns, and toss eight interceptions. Foles stat line wouldn’t be bad for just Foles, it’d be bad for every starting quarterback over a seven-game stretch.
Chicago further admitted that trading for Foles was a mistake when the Bears signed Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10M deal in free agency. Dalton may not move the needle significantly for the Bears, but he is the winningest NFL-ready quarterback on the Bears roster.
The winds of change swept through Chicago this offseason. For a franchise that has traditionally been known to make multiple mistakes and move on from players too late, the Bears admitted their mistakes this offseason, resetting the timeline for the franchise to be competitive once again.