The Chicago Bears head into the 2024 NFL season with plenty of question marks but even more hype.
Depending on the bias of who you ask, the Bears are expected to either win the Super Bowl or remain in the basement of the NFC North.
Here are some of the biggest questions surrounding the Bears as we get closer to the regular season.
5 Pressing Questions for the Bears Ahead of Week 1
Can the Bears Live Up to the Offseason Hype?
As a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018, the Bears are one of the more exciting organizations in terms of offseason hype.
After drafting twice in the first nine picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears’ offense has a lot of things to like.
Ryan Poles went out and added receiver Keenan Allen, giving rookie Caleb Williams a true arsenal of weapons. Chicago re-signed DJ Moore, extending him to a historic contract.
Poles and the Bears drafted wide receiver Rome Odunze out of Washington. Odunze is looking like one of the top rookie receivers in this class.
As their offense beefed up, the attention came flocking.
There have been other exciting offseasons for Chicago, but this appears to be the most hyped-up Bears season of the last decade or more.
However, with new pieces added, it could take time for this ship to set sail.
With an easier first half of the season than second half, the Bears will prove \early whether they’re contenders or pretenders.
Will Caleb Williams Lead the Bears to the Playoffs in His Rookie Season?
NFL fans saw what’s possible for a rookie quarterback after C.J. Stroud’s historic first season in the league. Is Williams capable of doing the same?
Stroud led the Texans to a 10-7 record and first-place finish in the AFC South. With that, Houston was playoff-bound, making its first postseason appearance since 2019.
It’s not unheard of for a rookie quarterback to make the playoffs or even win a playoff game. However, for the Bears, making the playoffs doesn’t come easy.
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Since 2010, Chicago has made the postseason just three times (2010, 2018, 2020). In that same span, the Bears have finished last in the NFC North five times (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022).
One major factor helping Williams is that he’s not joining a team that earned the No. 1 pick naturally. Chicago had Carolina’s first-overall pick thanks to a deal that landed the Panthers the 2023 No. 1 pick, which they used on Bryce Young.
Most of the time, a quarterback selected with the first pick goes to the team that struggled the most the prior year. That’s not the case for Chicago.
In fact, Williams’ situation with the Bears is one of, if not the best, offensively for a No. 1 pick coming into their rookie season. And that was seen in his limited reps in the preseason.
As a rookie, Williams has parts of his game that require fine-tuning, but everything said about his physical capabilities has been spot on.
With the weapons surrounding Williams, the likelihood of him sending the Bears to the playoffs in his rookie season is high.
Which Bears Receiver Will Reach 1,000 Yards First?
As one of the top wide receiver trios in the league, there’s been a race set by the Bears’ pass catchers on who can make it to the 1,000-yard marker first.
In the best season of his career, Moore took average quarterback play and turned it into 1,364 yards, surpassing 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career. With the best quarterback he’s played with suiting up for his first season as an NFL quarterback, the likelihood that he and Moore connect for 1,000 yards first this year is strong.
Allen has reached 1,000 yards six times in 11 seasons with the Chargers. As more of a route technician than a YAC receiver like Moore, Allen’s road to 1,000 yards has the potential to take a little longer. Something to also consider is Allen’s veteran status in the league. As an older player, the odds he misses plays here and there go up.
As the final piece of this wide receiver trio, Odunze enters his rookie season alongside Williams. Both got drafted on the same night, with Odunze being selected eight picks after Williams. To some, including Poles, Odunze was the top receiver prospect in the draft. He has all the tools to be great, and the Bears expect that.
However, as the third receiver in the group, Odunze could be fighting an uphill battle to reach 1,000 yards first.
Can the Bears’ Defense Begin 2024 the Way It Ended 2023?
The Bears’ overall defensive stats from last season aren’t all that impressive. They finished the season 20th in points surrendered (22.3 points per game) while allowing the 12th-most yards (5,511) across the league.
However, when Chicago traded for Montez Sweat, everything seemed to change.
In the eight games before Sweat’s arrival, Chicago allowed 27.3 points per game. For context, that would rank between the Washington Commanders (30.5) and the Arizona Cardinals (26.7) as the second-most points allowed per game in 2023.
In the nine games with Sweat, the Bears allowed just 17.8 points per game, which would rank as the fourth-lowest in the league last year.
There was clearly a catalyst to this team’s second-half improvement, and he plays on the Bears’ defensive line.
With Gervon Dexter Sr. looking to break out this season and Austin Booker having a clear path of development ahead of him, Chicago’s defense could make some noise this year.
Will Matt Eberflus Coach the Bears Well Enough To Keep His Job?
While most headlines surrounding the Bears this season focus on positive matters, head coach Matt Eberflus could be in for a make-or-break year with Chicago.
Last season, Eberflus’ team had trouble closing out games. Following a loss to the Browns in Week 15, Eberflus reached historic depths.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Bears led Cleveland 17-7. Chicago was looking to claim its sixth win of the season, and the defense was playing lights out.
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However, the Bears would allow a 13-point fourth quarter to snuff out their chances of victory.
This was the third time in the 2023 season that Eberflus’ Bears lost after leading by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter. Not only is that a hard pill to swallow on its own, but Eberflus made NFL history with that loss, tying for the most losses of that caliber in a single season.
Considering the roster Eberflus has this season, the Bears’ overall performance in 2024 could paint a picture of his future with the team.