It’s time to accept reality. The latest chapter of great Chicago Bears defense has closed. They had a really solid run from 2017 to 2020. Sadly after a strong start to 2021, they have completely fallen off the rails. They squandered a comeback opportunity against Green Bay by letting Aaron Rodgers march right down the field on them. They allowed 38 points to Tampa Bay and it easily could’ve been 50.
Then right when quarterback Justin Fields delivers the best performance of his young career, they cough up 33 points to the San Francisco 49ers at home. Fields gave them a huge opportunity in the 4th quarter when a heroic scramble for a touchdown cut the lead to 23-22. Instead, they let the 49ers march right down the field to score what was essentially the death blow. They surrendered as a unit almost 500 yards of offense with no takeaways and no sacks.
An absolutely brutal performance.
More than ever it is clear the organization has to hit the reset button. At 3-5 their chances of reaching the playoffs are on life support. Given the age of this roster and a defense that is crumbling? It would be much smart for them to consider selling off whatever assets they can in order to stockpile resources for the next offseason. That means any veteran defender with a big contract. Yes, including Khalil Mack.
If a guy fetches a decent price, send him off. It won’t make things on defense any better the rest of the year but they’re already bad. This season must be about furthering the development of Fields and setting up an opportunity to build around him moving forward. It is a difficult decision. Especially for a regime that may feel like they need to win now. That doesn’t make it less necessary.
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Chicago Bears defense does have pillars to build around
This is something that should at least be encouraging. Roquan Smith and Jaylon Johnson are both under 25-years old. Both look like outstanding football players. They will form the core of what will hopefully be the next version of this defensive unit. Something the organization didn’t really have back in the mid-2010s when Urlacher, Briggs, and Tillman left. It comes down to who will be running the show at the top.
Will it be GM Ryan Pace? Or will the Bears find a replacement? At 3-5 and with the season slipping away, it is hard to determine that answer. Never mind the fact that Pace didn’t exactly do the best job surrounding his young quarterback with help. The offensive line, wide receivers, and even the coaching staff have problems that need sorting out. Nobody expected the Chicago Bears defense to be one. At least not this quickly.
There isn’t much else to see.
Most of their best players are 30 or older. They’re also starting to get banged up way more often. None of them are going to be a part of this team’s future. If another team is willing to offer something for them, then the Bears should take it. Will they? Unlikely. At least not at the trade deadline. Maybe during the offseason for some of them. Either way, this defense could end up looking very different by next year.