The Chicago Bears: An organizational Failure
The Chicago Bears are arguably the most storied franchise in NFL history, as the team has a profound history dating back to the 1920s. Chicago captured their first Super Bowl title in 1985, led by the ferocious Monsters of the Midway. Since then, it's been tough sledding for Chicago, as the team has been mediocre for the past 40 years and has only reached one Super Bowl since 1985. Let's talk about how the Bears' organization has let down their fans and the entire city of Chicago…
Since their last Super Bowl appearance in 2006, the Bears have won just one playoff game and have qualified for the postseason just three times. During one of the playoff seasons, Chicago reached the NFC Championship but fell to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at home. The coach that led the Bears to this NFC Championship game was Lovie Smith. The Ladder spent nine years in Chicago, helping the team reach the Super Bowl, and made Jay Cutler look like a competent QB. Smith was fired in 2012 after nine years as HC, and the decision has haunted the Bears since. Chicago has gone through a head coaching carousel since the firing of Lovie, and it hasn't been pretty. It started with Marc Trestman and John Fox, who flamed out quickly and had appalling losing records. In 2018, the Bears took a chance on Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, and his tenure in Chicago was confusing. Nagy won NFL Coach of the Year in 2018, leading the Bears to a 12-4 record and a division title. But things went downhill from there, as Nagy struggled to maintain a .500 record and was fired after the 2021 season. Chicago then moved on to Colts DC Matt Eberflus, and he might be the most inadequate head coach the team has ever hired. Eberflus has a disgusting 3-17 record as head coach and currently has the Bears sitting at 0-3 to start the 2023 season. The Bears' Organization has failed to hire competent Head Coaches, but they have also failed at supporting potential Franchise QBs…
Chicago has genuinely never had a franchise QB in their history. The best Bears' Quarterbacks of all time were all either inconsistent or carried by great defenses. Jim McMahon, Rex Grossman, and Jay Cutler are three names that immediately come to mind. McMahon led Chicago to their Super Bowl victory in 1985, so he is the closest thing to a Franchise QB they have had. The Windy City thought they had their guy in 2017 when they traded up to select North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky with the 2nd overall pick. The pick was questionable then and became even worse after a certain QB in Kansas City started winning Super Bowls. Though Trubisky was a game manager at best, he led Chicago to the postseason twice and would've won a playoff game if it wasn't for the double doink. Trubisky flamed out of Chicago in 2020, as the Bears were looking to find a bonified franchise QB. Many blame Trubisky for his failure in Chicago, but it wasn't all his fault. The Bears failed to supply the QB with capable weapons, and being coached by Matt Nagy ruined his confidence. Former Bears GM Ryan Poles did little to provide for Trubisky, and he would've done the same with Justin Fields if he didn't get fired. Speaking of Justin Fields, Chicago drafted the Buckeye star with the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and it's been a nightmare since day one. Similarly to Trubisky, Fields has been given inadequate coaching and a dreadful team around him. Ryan Pace has tried to fix this issue by trading for DJ Moore and spending money and picks to rebuild the offensive line. These moves have yet to pay off this season, as Chicago finds themselves in a 0-3 hole, with another playoff-less season likely on the horizon.
The Bears are a failure on all accounts. Head coaching and General Manager disasters have been the story of this once-storied franchise for the last 20 years. Whether that be the disaster that was Ryan Poles or the Jim Fox era, the Bears have failed not only the great city of Chicago but also the all-time greats who were proud to wear the Orange C on their helmet…