Who Will the Bears Blame Next?
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Over the last 10 seasons, the Chicago Bears have had only one winning season, a 12-4 record in 2018. They had two 8-8 seasons in 2019 and 2020. The constant during those three seasons was quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Drafted with the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Bears, Trubisky had a 33-31 record from 2017 to 2020. The Bears had a choice to make: Would they keep Trubisky and help him grow, or move on to another QB? Trubisky threw for 10,609 yards with a 64% completion rate, 64 TDs, and 37 INTs, while being sacked 111 times in 50 starts.
Was coach Matt Nagy the problem as well? Should the Bears have moved on from him instead? Who should get the blame for the Bears' problems? There were rumblings of such, but with an 8-8 record and a playoff appearance, Bears Chairman George McCaskey decided to keep both Nagy and GM Ryan Pace despite the sputtering offense. Nagy was left on a "final-year prove-it" contract, but McCaskey was clear about what the Bears thought the real problem was. "It's pretty clear we need better production from the quarterback position to be successful," McCaskey said. So, Nagy had two primary objectives: improve the quarterback play and lead the team to more success after back-to-back 8-8 seasons.
In 2021, the Bears traded up from the 20th pick to the 11th pick in the NFL Draft. With that pick, the Bears selected Justin Fields. They also signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Was this enough for Nagy to earn an extension and for the Bears to turn things around? The rookie Fields started 10 of the 17 games for Chicago in 2021. Fields struggled, throwing for 1,870 yards with a 58.9% completion rate, 7 TDs, and 10 interceptions. To add to the misery, he was sacked 36 times in those 10 games.
In three seasons with the Bears, Fields threw for 6,674 yards, with a 60.3% completion rate. He threw 40 TDs and had 30 INTs. His QB rating was 82.3, and he was sacked 135 times. The Bears moved on from coach Matt Nagy, who departed with a 34-31 record and was the AP Coach of the Year in 2018. In 2022, Matt Eberflus took the reins of the team.
As the 2023 season ended with the Bears holding the number one draft pick, fans were clamoring for the team to replace Justin Fields. This time, Fields was the scapegoat. It wasn't the lack of quality talent around him, or the coaching, coordinators, or GM. Fans bought into the hype surrounding Caleb Williams, convinced that his stronger arm would lead them to a Super Bowl in year one. Williams was thought to be superior in every way to Justin Fields. Would the Bears also buy into the hype? Would they use their two first-round picks to solidify the team around Justin Fields?
With the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected QB Caleb Williams from USC. But this was not the same Bears team. They surrounded the quarterback with plenty of offensive weapons. Not only did they draft Rome Odunze from Washington University with their other first round selection, but they also added wide receiver Keenan Allen and running back D'Andre Swift. These additions, alongside DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, gave the rookie QB plenty of options to help him succeed. And Justin Fields? He ended up with the Steelers as the Bears' blame game continued.
With a win in Week 1, Bears Nation was on cloud nine, despite the team totaling only 148 yards of offense. Entering Week 12, the Bears are 4-6. At home, they are 4-2, but on the road, they are 0-4. Typical for a growing quarterback-led team. But now, there is talk of benching Caleb Williams after two consecutive games without scoring a touchdown against the Cardinals and the Patriots.
Williams has thrown for 2,016 yards, which is less than punter Tory Taylor, who has punted for 2,236 yards. When Taylor was drafted 122nd overall in 2024, he received a text from Caleb Williams that said: "Hey, you're not going to punt too much here." Williams' other stats this season include a 61.8% completion rate, 9 TDs, 5 INTs, and a QBR rating of 44.2. He has been sacked 41 times in 10 games. Caleb was supposed to be far superior to Justin Fields, but the stats are very similar for their first-year comparisons.
So, if Justin Fields was not the problem, who is to blame next? Williams has plenty of offensive playmakers around him, but the sacks continue. Should the offensive coordinator be held responsible?
From 2016-2017, the OC was Dowell Loggains. From 2018-2019, it was Mark Helfrich. From 2020-2021, it was Bill Lazor. From 2022-2023, it was Luke Getsy. And just this season in 2024, Shane Waldron was out after 9 games, handpicked by Eberflus. Head coach Matt Eberflus made the final decision. "After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well thought out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully."
Thomas Brown, the passing game coordinator, became the 14th OC in 26 seasons. The Bears have certainly played the blame game heavily at this position.
Let’s debunk some common things you will hear. One is that the offensive line is atrocious and they never try to improve it. Since 2017, they have drafted 8 offensive linemen—2 guards and a center—so they are not ignoring the issue. The talent level would be on the staff that drafted them or failed to upgrade enough in free agency. Another common complaint is that they do not provide any help for the quarterbacks. Since 2017, the Bears have drafted 6 running backs, 2 tight ends, and 8 wide receivers. Again, they are not ignoring the issue. Players like Tarik Cohen, David Montgomery, Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Herbert, and Rome Odunze have been added to the roster through the draft. The quality of players matters, and in that same sense, that applies to the coordinators and coaches as well. It continues to trickle up to the GM.
The Bears seem to blame the wrong people at the wrong times and fail to see the big picture. How about the head coach? The Bears have had 4 head coaches in the past 12 years: Marc Trestman (2013-2014, 13-19 record), John Fox (2015-2017, 14-34 record), Matt Nagy (2018-2021, 34-31 record), and Matt Eberflus (2022-present, 14-30 record, including an 0-18 record on the road under Eberflus). The Bears also have a 12-game losing streak to their divisional rivals in Green Bay.
The following have been fired under Coach Eberflus: Shane Waldron (OC), Luke Getsy (OC), Alan Williams (DC), David Walker (RB Coach), Andrew Janocko (QB Coach), Tyke Tolbert (WR Coach), Omar Young (RB Coach), and Tim Zetts (Assistant TE Coach). If you are a coach of any kind in the NFL and you get a call from Mike Eberflus, change your phone number. Otherwise, you could be the next contestant on the Bears' blame game.
