The Chicago Bears defense has carried this team for the better part of three years. A tradition that has been upheld for the better part of several decades. There were many times that the group was so much fun to watch. Almost toying with opponents. However, it’s becoming painfully clear those good, old days may be in the rearview mirror.

Here is the reality. Going into 2021, the Bears will be paying over $117 million of their payroll to that side of the ball. The highest by a wide margin in the NFL. This would be fine if the defense was playing like a top 5 unit. That’s the issue. They aren’t doing that anymore. In fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest they’ve been on a downward trend for some time now. Check out the numbers.

2018 defense:

• Points allowed – 17.68 per game
• Yards allowed – 299.68 per game
• Sacks – 50
• Pressures – 184
• Passer rating against – 72.9
• Takeaways – 36

2019 defense:

• Points allowed – 18.62 per game
• Yards allowed – 324.12 per game
• Sacks – 32
• Pressures – 157
• Passer rating against – 85.2
• Takeaways – 19

2020 defense:

• Points allowed – 23.12 per game
• Yards allowed – 344.93 per game
• Sacks – 35
• Pressures – 133
• Passer rating against – 94.9
• Takeaways – 18

Sobering isn’t it? Outside of sacks which saw a slight uptick, every key stat category for the Bears defense has experienced a downward trajectory since 2018. A surefire sign the unit might be crumbling. Akiem Hicks had just 3.5 sacks, his lowest total in a full season since 2015. Kyle Fuller had just one interception. Robert Quinn had just two sacks. Danny Trevathan was a bigger liability in coverage than ever before.

Only Khalil Mack played close to his customary level of dominance and even then he had just nine sacks. Any time this defense ran into a halfway decent quarterback, they looked uncomfortably inadequate. Enough to where it’s time to consider asking the hard question.

Should this Chicago Bears defense be disassembled?

Remember the team is looking at a difficult offseason. Their salary cap is projected to be either tight against the ceiling or slightly over it. Either way, the Bears will be low on spending money. This with 30 pending free agents to juggle and the obvious need to upgrade a roster that barely finished 8-8 for the second season in a row. It doesn’t feel like the defense is going to make some sort of miraculous rebound. Not with guys like Hicks, Trevathan, Quinn, and Mack pushing into their 30s.

It might be time to make some hard decisions. Trading or cutting key names in an effort to get the payroll under control and start the process of getting younger on that side of the ball. Here are the notable names the Bears could cut or trade that would secure them some form of decent cap return.

• Kyle Fuller – $11 million
• Akiem Hicks – $10.5 million
• Buster Skrine – $5 million (post-June 1st cut)
• Khalil Mack – $17.246 million (post-June 1st trade)
• Robert Quinn – $11.6 million (post-June 1st trade)

Obviously, some of these are more doable than others.

The point is the smart teams start the rebuild a year early rather than a year late. The Chicago Bears defense isn’t in the same spot as it was back in 2012. That version had zero young talents in place to prevent the eventual pitfall it fell into. It shouldn’t be the case this time as Roquan Smith (23), Jaylon Johnson (21), Bilal Nichols (24), Eddie Jackson (26), and Eddie Goldman (26) should be in place moving forward. They would make a transition much easier to survive.

Will the Bears do it? That could depend on who is in charge this offseason. It’s something they need to consider either way.