It’s been awhile since the Chicago Bears have been “in the hunt” as far as the playoffs are concerned. But they weren’t mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Until now.
The Bears have officially been eliminated from playoff contention following Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which dropped Chicago to 4-10 on the season. It’s the Bears’ first double-digit loss mark since 2017.
The Bears have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. pic.twitter.com/JyQsNgTwry
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 21, 2021
If anything, this feels like the perfect time for the Bears to start looking toward next season, where there’s expected to be a ton of change this offseason.
That starts with head coach Matt Nagy, who is expected to be relieved of his coaching duties by season’s end. The Bears have never fired a head coach in-season before, which is why it likely won’t happen until Black Monday — even though a new rule indicates Chicago can begin interviewing prospective candidates in the final two weeks of the season.
But the change might not stop there, as there’s been several reports indicating a restructure could be coming to the Bears’ front office, which could include Ryan Pace out as general manager and a new football executive in place.
With nothing left to play for — except pride — Chicago should consider getting a head start on planning for the future, where the hope is things are more optimistic than they’ve been over the last couple of seasons.
