CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 08: Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus talks with general manager Ryan Poles before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on January 08, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
It actually happened. The Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings, which was unbelievable for their draft stock. With Nathan Peterman at quarterbackit could have been worse, but they found a way to lose to the NFC North Champions at Soldier Field.
Luckily for the Bears, they got some help. The Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, bringing their record to 3-13-1, which isn’t as bad as the Bears’ record of 3-14. Now, the Chicago Bears have the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Chicago is now there. The season got off to a good start when they beat one of the NFL’s best teams, the San Francisco 49ers, but have only won twice since. Ryan Poles clearly entered this season with a plan to be bad as he whittled down the roster.
The departures of guys like Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks came before the start of the season, which signaled the fact that they were doing it all again this year. They swapped stars like Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn midway through the year which helped the cause.
The Chicago Bears officially have the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It’s not all been bad for the Bears this year either. There have been plenty of games where the Bears have seen Justin Fields play well. Obviously, more than anything, that was the most important thing this year. They were bad enough to earn the No. 1 overall pick, but the quarterback showed some development.
The Chicago Bears can handle this pick in many ways and everyone will have a different opinion. This is all going to be the talking point throughout the offseason, which should make it incredibly fun.
Will they trade it? Will they make a selection? Who would they take if they kept him? A lot is on the table for Ryan Poles and his team heading into the draft season.
The Bears haven’t had a bad record for lack of effort. It’s clear that all of these guys bought into what Matt Eberflus and his team preached. They just didn’t have enough talent, which will change over the years. After this off-season, the future could be bright.