Heading into the 2020 season, the Chicago Bears have plenty to prove following a disappointing year in what was supposed to be a title-contending season.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Bears heading into a currently-scheduled training camp — most of those questions coming on offense. But returning a top-five defense from a season ago, Chicago has the potential to take back the NFC North.
The Bears have bolstered their already-dominant defense with some offseason acquisitions, including pass rusher Robert Quinn, second-round cornerback Jaylon Johnson and strong safety Tashaun Gipson.
Chicago can’t continue to waste this championship-caliber defense — one that could potentially rival their 2018 unit. While there have been some key offensive additions, including quarterback Nick Foles, tight ends Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet and offensive linemen Germain Ifedi and Jason Spriggs, this offense has a lot to prove in 2020.
The Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season — for a plethora of reasons. All they need to do is be average for this team to make a playoff run. But that’s easier said than done with this team.
Let’s take a look at three questions facing the Bears heading into training camp.
1. Is the Bears’ QB competition Nick Foles’ to lose?
The storyline that will dominate headlines through training camp is the quarterback competition between former No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy publicly declared there will be an open and fair competition between Trubisky and Foles, one that will carry through preseason.
Trubisky’s struggles in 2019 are well-documented, and the Bears have put him on notice heading into his fourth season. Last year was supposed to be the year when Trubisky finally put it altogether. Instead, Trubisky had his worst season as a pro in one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Although, to be fair, Trubisky was far from the only problem on offense. But his struggles were the most concerning.
The Bears can’t afford to continue to waste their championship-caliber defense on an offense that’s been mediocre at best and abysmal at worst. Which is where Foles comes in — and there’s a belief among many that the starting job Foles’ to lose. After all, Pace traded a fourth-round pick for Foles — the guy that has experience in a Nagy-like offense, has worked with new Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and showed he can operate this type of offense well.
The Trubisky experiment could soon be over in Chicago. Although, don’t write off Trubisky just yet. Perhaps a fight for the starting job might give him the push he needs to finally become the guy Pace thought he’d drafted. Although that’s certainly a reach at this point.
2. Can the offense rebound after a disastrous 2019 season?
No matter how you looked at it, Nagy’s offense was an utter disaster in 2019, ranking among the worst in the NFL. While Trubisky was a big reason for the offense’s failures last season, the concerns run deeper than quarterback.
Chicago’s tight ends were arguably the worst group in the league last season, tallying 36 receptions, 416 receiving yards and just two touchdowns. Pace hasn’t shied away from admitting to his failures this offseason. And that included releasing tight end Trey Burton, whose injury struggles hampered his production by limiting him on the field — and former second-rounder Adam Shaheen shouldn’t be far behind. The Bears brought in Jimmy Graham to occupy the move tight end position, and they drafted Cole Kmet in the second round to serve as the in-line tight end. The hope is that those two new faces will revive one of the most important positions in Nagy’s offense.
The offensive line has been a major concern this offseason. With Kyle Long’s retirement, the Bears have a starting right guard spot up for grabs, where former first-rounder Germain Ifedi, Alex Bars and Rasaad Coward will battle for the job. The run game was a big part of Chicago’s offensive struggles last season, and there’s been a focus on fixing it this offseason. Nagy brought in Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo to help find balance on offense.
3. Who will win the starting jobs at cornerback and strong safety?
Unlike last year where kicker was the main attraction in terms of competition, there will be several starting spots up for grabs on Chicago’s roster. Among them are cornerback and safety, where the Bears will be looking to fill the holes vacated by cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
The starting right cornerback spot will feature a battle between second-round pick Jaylon Johnson, third-year undrafted free agent Kevin Toliver, CFL star Tre Roberson and former first-rounder Artie Burns. But the expectation is that Johnson, who was touted by many as a top-three cornerback talent, will win the job alongside Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller. When you draft someone like Johnson in the second round, the belief is that they’re going to make an impact sooner rather than later.
With Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson moving back to centerfield this season, the Bears are looking to find his running mate at strong safety. Many expected Chicago to address safety in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they chose to forgo that option. That leaves veteran Tashaun Gipson, former fourth-round pick Deon Bush, newcomer Jordan Lucas and DeAndre Houston-Carson among those vying for the starting spot opposite Jackson. Although, it’s likely that Gipson locks up that spot.
