The Chicago Bears playoff trip in 2018 was exciting and long overdue for fans who have suffered through one of the worst droughts in franchise history. Now the team looks young, strong, and competitive again. They have one of the best defenses in the league and a young quarterback coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance. Despite that, there are concerns about whether they can duplicate those results.
Making the playoffs once is nice, but the hard part is doing it repeatedly. The Bears have done it only one time since 1992. GM Ryan Pace has said his goal was to get them to that point. A time where they could regularly play in January, giving them a better opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl title.
Thus far the results of the 2019 offseason have been mixed. The Bears improved their depth in a number of areas but they’ve also suffered some key losses. Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan left as free agents. Jordan Howard was traded to Philadelphia. Was this enough to impact expectations for their playoff chances this year?
Not so much.
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Experts still view Chicago Bears playoff hopes as strong for this season
NFL.com asked five of its experts a simple question. Who among the teams from the 2018 playoff bracket is in the most trouble for their chances of getting back this year? Not a single one of them mentioned the Bears. Two, former wide receiver Reggie Wayne and former QB David Carr picked the Kansas City Chiefs. Former offensive lineman Brian Baldinger and former GM Charlie Casserly picked the Baltimore Ravens.
Former running back Maurice Jones-Drew? He went with the Houston Texans.
It seems the Bears’ losses this offseason aren’t viewed with the same concern as the Chiefs and Ravens who lost a combined six current or former Pro Bowl players this offseason to free agency or trade. The Bears only lost one in Howard. The majority of their core remains intact. Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Kyle Fuller, Eddie Jackson, Allen Robinson, Tarik Cohen, and Trubisky. They’re all set for 2019.
If Pace can add a few more decent role players for depth at key positions, there’s no reason to think this team can’t make another run to January.
