The Chicago Bears will open their 2021 training camp this week as the Summer Olympics currently is taking place in Tokyo, Japan. Although the Olympics take place every four years, there has been a recurring trend for the Bears’ season that takes place the same year. It is an occurrence that has been seen since 1992 and has continued through the 2016 season. It is something that does not bold well for the upcoming Bears’ season and the quarterbacks.

The Chicago Bears Have had Massively Disappointing Seasons During Olympic Years

Since 1992, there have been seven seasons played the same year as the Summer Olympic Games over the past 29 years. Five of those seven seasons have been losing seasons. Heading into all seven of those seasons, those Bears teams had massive playoff expectations before the start of each season. The 1992 team was expected to repeat as NFC Central Division champions but finished with just five wins, which resulted in the firing of legendary coach Mike Ditka.

In 1996, Chicago was picked as a Super Bowl contender after adding Pro Bowl linebacker Bryan Cox in free agency to go along with a top 10 offense from the year before. The Bears further amplified Super Bowl expectations when they beat the defending world champion Dallas Cowboys on the first Monday Night Football game of the 1996 season. It would be all down in as the team finished 7-9 as their offense was inconsistent throughout the season.

The 2000 and 2004 seasons were almost identical to one another as in both those seasons, Chicago had a quality defense but an inept offense due to injuries. The 2000 and 2004 teams finished with identical records at 5-11, while offensive coordinators were let go at the end of each season.

The only two winning seasons during summer Olympic years for the Bears have come in 2008 and 2012. The 2008 team finished with a 9-7 record, while the 2012 team finished with a 10-6 record. Despite having winning records, both teams failed to make the playoffs as they were eliminated in the final week of the season. The 2008 Bears’ team would have made the playoffs had they not lost their finale against a sub-par Houston Texans team. The 2012 team, despite winning their final game of the year, was eliminated when the Minnesota Vikings upset the Green Bay Packers for the final playoff spot.

Five years ago, the worst season in Bears’ history took place as that year’s team lost a franchise-worst 13 games. Fans and analysts believed that head coach John Fox would lead the team to a playoff appearance after a promising six-win season the year before. Injuries on offense and defense decimated Chicago as the three-win season would almost result in Fox being fired.

Summer Olympic Years Have Not Been Kind To Bears Quarterbacks Especially

It could be an odd coincidence that the Bears have had a disappointing season during the Olympic years, but what has happened to their quarterbacks in the same years solidifies the trend. Since 1992, the Bears have played three quarterbacks each season except for 2008 and 2012. In the other Summer Olympic seasons, Chicago either saw three quarterbacks start or play at some part of those seasons.

The main reason for so many quarterbacks playing has been due to injuries, which started in 1996 with Erik Kramer. Kramer was coming off his best season in 1995 but broke his neck during the fourth game of the 1996 season and missed the remainder of the year. Dave Krieg was the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, was relieved in the season finale by Shane Matthews.

Four years later, Matthew would be one of three quarterbacks to start for the 2000 Bears due to injuries. First-round quarterback Cade McNown missed six games due to a separated shoulder. Jim Miller took over for McNown but suffered a torn Achilles tendon scrambling for a first down in a game two weeks later. Even Matthews couldn’t escape the injury bug as he broke his finger in the Christmas eve season finale against the Lions and was subbed for by McNown.

The 2004 Bears’ season is regarded as the worst offensive year in team history due to their horrific quarterback play. Chicago lost starting quarterback Rex Grossman for the season to a torn ACL suffered at the end of their Week 3 loss to the Vikings. The Bears would start three more quarterbacks in 2004, with rookie Craig Krenzel missing the final five games due to a heel injury suffered on Thanksgiving. Grossman, Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn, and Chad Hutchinson combined for nine touchdown passes and 15 interceptions.

The 2008 and 2012 Bears’ teams would see their starting quarterback each started 15 games, but they still suffered injuries that cost their teams the playoffs. In 2008, Kyle Orton sprained his ankle against the Lions and was expected to miss four games. After Grossman started one game and lost, Orton returned but was extremely limited due to the injury resulting in two divisional losses in three weeks.

Four years later, Jay Cutler would miss a game and a half due to a concussion suffered against the Houston Texans. Chicago would lose a crucial game to the Texans after being shut out in the second half. The following week, the Bears would get blown out without Cutler by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. The two losses would cost Chicago control of the division resulting in them missing the playoffs with a 10-win record.

The Bears were 7-3 in 2011 and 7-1 in 2012 when Jay Cutler suffered an injury (thumb, concussion). Chicago went a combined 4-10 afterwards.

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) October 21, 2013

In 2016, Cutler would suffer multiple injuries resulting in him starting just five games with the team. He suffered a sprained thumb in week two against the Eagles, while his season would end in week 11 after tearing his Labrum against the New York Giants. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer started five-game while Cutler was out with the thumb injury but broke his arm in week seven and missed the remainder of the season. Similar to the 2004 team, the 2016 Bears saw four quarterbacks play during the season.

Bears QB Brian Hoyer breaks left arm vs. Packershttps://t.co/4pV6pHT6iu pic.twitter.com/GyYotE6hFs

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 21, 2016

It will be interesting to see the outcome of the 2021 Chicago Bears team, given that the Olympics were supposed to be played last year. Chicago fans can only hope that quarterbacks Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields do not face by the same ominous luck that has plague other Bears’ quarterbacks during Olympic years. Before 1992, the last two Olympic years saw Chicago make it to the NFC Championship each time only to lose. Bears fans would gladly take those results in 2021.