Heading into the 2020 season, the Bears will face many questions about their potential for a rebound performance following a disappointing 2019 campaign.
Considering the plethora of issues on the offensive side of the ball, expectations aren’t necessarily high. But there is plenty of work that the Bears will do between now and the start of the season that will affect the trajectory of this team in 2020.
Here are five early questions for the Bears heading into 2020:
1. Who will be the starting quarterback?
It’s a question that general manager Ryan Pace wants us to believe should be a no-brainer. Pace has publicly backed Mitchell Trubisky as the starter for the 2020 season, but words mean absolutely nothing at this point. Pace’s offseason actions will tell us everything we need to know about the quarterback situation.
While Trubisky’s regression was certainly cause for concern, he’s likely going to get one last chance to prove if he can be the guy in Chicago. That won’t stop the Bears from bringing in a veteran backup quarterback to challenge Trubisky for the starting job. Or even a young prospect to develop along the way.
2. How will the offense progress?
Most of this offseason will be dedicated to fixing the issues that plagued the Bears on offense last season. Given there were several factors in the offense’s failures, it’s not an easy fix. But Matt Nagy has already started with bringing in four new offensive coaches that specialize in the areas where Chicago has struggled.
The Bears need to address several issues in free agency and the NFL Draft, including bringing in a quarterback to compete with Trubisky, adding reliable tight ends, figuring out the offensive line’s struggles and fixing the run game. Heading into the third year in Nagy’s offense, there’s no excuse for the Bears’ offense to replicate their 2019 failures.
3. Can the defense maintain its dominance?
The Bears defense makes it look easy, but it’s difficult to maintain the level of dominance that they’ve had in the last two seasons. While 2019 was a far cry from 2018’s impressive statistical season, the Bears defense allowed the fourth-fewest points in the NFL. That, in spite of the offense’s struggles.
So as the Bears had into an offseason where the offense is of utmost focus, no one’s really talking about the defense. Make no mistake, the Bears defense has plenty to improve in 2020 — including getting more productive out of the pass rush and forcing more turnovers. But they’re not the unit everyone is worried about right now.
4. Can the Bears compete in the NFC North?
One year after topping the NFC North, the Bears stumbled behind the Packers and Vikings to land in third place. Granted, Chicago did itself no favors with eight losses in 2019. While the Bears did sweep the Vikings in the last two seasons, they’ve lost three of the last four games against the Packers.
If the Bears are going to make a playoff push, they need to prove that they can compete in the division. And that starts with beating the defending NFC North champion Packers.
5. Can the Bears make a playoff push?
There was a time when finishing .500 would’ve been considered a small victory. But there are high expectations surrounding these Bears that includes competing for the playoffs and a championship on a consistent basis.
Following a disappointing 2019 season, no one is expecting the Bears to do much. A far cry from last offseason, where many had Chicago pegged as a potential Super Bowl contender. Perhaps that’s best for this team. They seem to thrive in the underdog role. But when all is said and done, they need to prove that they can win games if they’re going to make a return trip to the postseason.
