There are a lot of question marks heading into the 2020-21 NFL season, one of them being if they’re even going to play due to COVID-19. But assuming they do play, our beloved Chicago Bears have a chance to definitely make some noise this year, but there are some things that could get in the way of that. 

On paper, the Bears have the best defense in the NFL, but injuries are common in football, and that will be increased this year because of the coronavirus. For example, Bears linebacker, and two time defensive MVP Khalil Mack had a tougher season last year than he usually does. This happened because star defensive end Akiem Hicks was injured week five and was out for the majority of the season, so opposition offensive lines had less pass rushing threats to worry about, and they were able to double team Mack, which decreased his production. This season, if both those guys are healthy, the Bears will be one of the best pass rushing teams in the NFL. 

The Bears have more weapons on the defensive side of the ball beside those two. Their secondary consists of Pro-Bowlers Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller, former Super Bowl champion linebacker Danny Trevathan, and up and coming former member of the 2018 all-rookie team, Roquan Smith. The Bears also recently acquired former Pro-Bowl linebacker Robert Quinn, who will definitely help with the pass rushing and is a huge improvement from last year’s left outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who is no longer on the team. 

So the Bears defense is great, but there was a huge loss this offseason. Defensive tackle Eddie Goldman has opted out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. This is important as he is probably the Bears best run stopper, but I do understand why he opted out. He is especially at great risk considering that he plays defensive line, and he is just a few feet away from offensive linemen every game and is constantly in pileups. That is part of the reason he is so good at run stopping because he is always in the action. Replacing him as nose tackle will probably be Roy Robertson-Harris, who has been rotating in and out of the Bears lineup for a few years now. So aside from losing Goldman, the Chicago defense is in pretty good shape. 

What could stop the Bears from a fantastic season is the offense, specifically the quarterback. The Bears have a solid offensive line, consisting of Cody Whitehaor at center, James Daniel and Rashaad Coward at the guards, and Bobby Massie and Charles Leno, Jr. at the tackles. They also have a solid receiving core, with former Pro-Bowler (who I think should have made it last year) Allen Robinson, a speedy little man in Ted Ginn Jr, and then Memphis University alumni Anthony Miller. At running back you have big man David Montgomery, and the speedy 5’7 passing back, the man they call the Joystick, Tarik Cohen. Montgomery is used mostly for goal line situations and short yardage situations. He’s the guy who pushes the ball just a few yards if you need him too, as he runs with a ton of power. Cohen is the guy who can help out on returns, and he’s in the backfield for passing plays, and for outside runs, as if he gets in the open field he is very hard to stop. So they have a solid offense, headlined by all star receiver Allen Robinson. But like I said before, it’s all about the quarterback. 

As of now, Mitchell Trubisky is still the starter, but he will be on a very short leash as he really struggled last season, and the Bears have recently acquired a former Super Bowl MVP with the Philadelphia Eagles, Nick Foles. If Trubisky struggles at all, I bet Matt Nagy won’t hesitate in putting in Foles. And frankly, that’s who I trust more, as Foles has more experience, and he is a smarter player than Trubisky. Foles recognizes his strengths and weaknesses which is something that Trubisky does not do very well. Trubisky also tries to force the ball into very tight spots, which is something young quarterbacks seem to struggle with as they get frantic. Plus, Foles is a winner. He led his team to a super bowl in 2017! I just hope Nagy recognizes that starting Foles is a better option, and it would be helpful for Trubiksy to sit and learn behind a former Super Bowl MVP. 

Overall, I think that the Bears could have a very good season if they can figure out their quarterback issues. They have some solid pieces on offense, and their defense is great all around, but at the end of the day, it’s all about who’s throwing the ball. My prediction for the season is that they will go 9-7.