The Chicago Bears have done their part thus far in setting up their 2023 NFL draft plans. After falling to Detroit on Sunday, they are now 3-13. That guarantees them the 4th overall pick with one game to play. Another loss will lock them in for the #2 pick. However, their odds of climbing higher to #1 remain strong. All they’d need is for the Houston Texans to beat the hapless Indianapolis Colts in the season finale. From there, the Bears would need to do their part in losing to the Minnesota Vikings.
The problem many people worried about was the Vikings might consider sitting their starters. They’ve already won the NFC North, and the #1 seed in the conference is out of reach. However, their once ironclad grip on the #2 seed fell apart after their disastrous loss in Green Bay. Now they need to win Sunday to give themselves a chance to get two home playoff games instead of one. They must beat the Bears and hope the Arizona Cardinals can upset the San Francisco 49ers.
Here’s the best part. Thanks to the NFL schedule-makers, Minnesota won’t be able to weasel their way out of playing their starters the entire game. San Francisco doesn’t play until the late afternoon window. The Vikings play at noon. So they won’t be able to scoreboard watch and sit their starters if the 49ers game isn’t going their way.
The Chicago Bears could make this easier by sitting starters.
Of course, they won’t do that. Head coach Matt Eberflus has made it clear the team will continue trying to win games. That said, they have valid reasons to sit Justin Fields. He’s been battered all season from too many hits. Nobody would blink an eye if the Bears chose to sit him in the finale. That would all but guarantee a loss. Other players will likely not suit up including Teven Jenkins. Fields was sacked seven times in Detroit. The offensive line has shown they can’t protect him. Why expose him to further abuse against a Vikings team that still has something to play for?
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Eberflus did leave the window open. While he said Fields will play next Sunday if healthy, he also said he’d have conversations with GM Ryan Poles about what decision to make. That leads one to think the Chicago Bears are having the same thoughts. A win would be nice, but the #1 pick would be even better. It would give them untold bargaining power going into the 2023 draft. They could either take the best player on their board or auction the pick off for a king’s ransom to a QB-needy team.
