Yes
BY ETHAN DIAMOND
The misery that Bears fans have gone through is finally about to end.
The Bears have not made the playoffs since the 2020 season. Since then, the organization has gone through a drastic rebuild to ensure long-term success.
This year, they will reap the benefits of their reconstruction and return to the playoffs. With one of the easiest schedules in the league, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will get the chance to win over the city in his first season.
The Bears are a talented team on offense and defense. Receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet will all support Williams. Running backs D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert bring years of experience to the backfield. Two excellent linebackers, T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds, also support the team.
General manager Ryan Poles has done a great job building the offensive and defensive lines, with Teven Jenkins, Darnell Wright and Pro Bowler Montez Sweat set to be key contributors.
Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson was retained this offseason and is considered to be one of the best in his position. Safety Kevin Byard brings years of top-level experience to the defense, and young players Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Jaquan Brisker will fill out the rest of the secondary.
The Bears have the talent and schedule to make a run this year, and I believe they will. It all starts this Sunday with a noon kickoff, where the team will host the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.
NO
By Umar Syed
The Chicago Bears have made many offseason moves, most notably, drafting 2023 Heisman winner Caleb Williams first overall. They have also signed running back D’Andre Swift, Linebacker Jaylen Johnson, offensive lineman Matt Ryor and All-Pro wide receiver Keenan Allen.
These signings sound great on paper and could make them a playoff team; however, I don’t think this squad will make the playoffs.
The main factor is that the NFC North Division and the NFC have very strong teams such as; the Packers, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys and the defending NFC champions, San Francisco 49ers. This Bears team is new, and the players have yet to play together, leading to some potential hiccups early in sync and coordination, especially on the offensive end.
I predict that the Bears will have a decent season going 8-9, but because the NFC is stacked and this team has a rookie quarterback, there will be pressure on the team.
