Muhsin Muhammad once famously said Chicago is the place where “receivers go to die.” Cheap shot? Not if it’s kind of true. Chicago Bears wide receivers have had worse than any other franchise in the NFL for several decades now. A clear product of the organization’s incredible consistency at being unable to find a quarterback. It appears 2020 is just another furthering of that tradition.
Mitch Trubisky was benched after less than two games. Nick Foles came in and played even worse before being carted off against Minnesota on Monday night. Depending on the health status of those two, the Bears could end up starting Tyler Bray, Kyle Sloter, or possibly even DeShone Kizer who recently tried out for them. That is how bad it’s gotten.
What makes it so painful is how close they’ve been.
The opportunities for big plays are there. Every single week there are moments where one of their receivers is streaking wide open down the field. There’s enough protection and the quarterback gets the ball out. Yet almost every time, the throw is too far to even give them a realistic chance to get it. This is a trend that has held true since last year.
This video from NFL Memes couldn’t sum up that reality any better. Time and again guys get open. Time and again they’re missed. One can only imagine how frustrated they must be.
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The Chicago Bears wide receivers are good
There is a lot of talent in this group. Allen Robinson is a stud. Anthony Miller can get open all the time (even if his hands are like bricks), and Darnell Mooney is emerging as one of the most frightening deep threats in the NFL. Yet nobody talks about them. Why? Like all receivers, they’re at the mercy of the quarterbacks. Not to mention their usage by the coaches on the field.
It’s hard not to wonder how different this team might’ve looked if they’d somehow convinced Tom Brady to sign here. They certainly tried. One can imagine it would’ve looked way better than this. Maybe they’d be talking about Robinson as a superstar and Miller as an up-and-coming stud. Instead, it looks like the team is going to totally reset at the position next year.
To say nothing of Robinson’s likely exit in free agency.
This serves as a reminder. Chicago has drafted talented receivers in the past. Yet most of them never get talked about because they spend such a large portion of their careers playing with bad to mediocre passers. It’s why Alshon Jeffery left. It’s why Curtis Conway never reached his full potential. The list goes on and on.
The Bears wide receivers want to show everybody what they can do. They’ve done almost everything possible to help this team win. Sadly they’re the one position in the NFL that is entirely dependent on another to have success. Naturally, it’s the one position this franchise can’t get right. Will next time be the charm? They can only hope.