The worst part about the Bears’ failed season, which ends Sunday against the Vikings, is that they wasted valuable performances by some of their best players.
A 1,000-yard season by wide receiver Allen Robinson is merely a footnote.
Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, still a monster when healthy, turned 30 last month.
And while he doesn’t have the gaudy stats he put up in his first season with the Bears, another expensive year of Khalil Mack’s precious prime is gone.
“Every year is different, and so all these guys — Khalil, of all the guys, keeps himself in phenomenal shape,” coach Matt Nagy said. “We understand that we have a lot of talented players, and we know what our big-time goal is.
“We all have different timelines on where we’re at, and Khalil has his own, but we know we want to get to this thing as soon as we can.”
The Bears signed Mack to a six-year, $141 million extension when they acquired him in a trade with the Raiders. It was one of his most successful seasons with 12.5 sacks, a career-high six forced fumbles, an all-pro selection and the team going 12-4.
But as he approaches his 29th birthday, it weighs on Mack that he has never won a playoff game. Stardom and riches are great, but he’d like to do some meaningful winning before it’s too late.
When the Bears began training camp, Mack said he “absolutely” felt it gnawing at him and believed he was “running out of time” to get to a Super Bowl. Suffice it to say, he was far less introspective after going through the formality of the final regular-season practice Friday.
“I’m living in the moment, in a sense, so I can’t really focus too much on what’s gonna happen in the future,” Mack said. “Right now, just getting ready for Minnesota, man. That’s all I can really think about. I can’t really think about what I told you at the beginning of the season and all that type of stuff.”
The Bears also squandered another excellent season by veteran linebacker Danny Trevathan, who will hit free agency this spring. He had 70 tackles before a season-ending elbow injury.
Cornerback Kyle Fuller had a great season, too, regardless of his numbers dropping from his all-pro selection in 2018. He’ll be 28 next season, and it’s hard to predict how long a corner can stay at the top of his game as he approaches 30.
Between aging, injuries and tough financial decisions, the Bears have limited windows to maximize their best players. That’s especially true on defense, where they failed to capitalize on a unit that ranks fifth in points allowed, sixth against the run and 12th against the pass.
“It’s never easy this business,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. “Like I told the defensive guys, ‘This room will probably never be the same.’”
And the Bears have no guarantee that room, or any other, will continue being this good.
