Hot Take Tuesday: We’re Number One!

This season was perfect!

"This guy is off his rocker!" "This season was terrible!" "What a moron!"

That's the reaction I would expect, but I mean it, this season was perfect. Insert a Montgomery Burns evil laugh GIF here.

This is, in a perfect world, exactly what the Chicago Bears needed in 2022.

You might think I'm nuts, you might think I'm crazy, and you're probably right, but you want to know something? I'm right too.

This team was destined to be terrible. The content creators and media members that decided the Bears were a playoff team back in August were either idiots or creating clickbait. They never had a shot. Those who thought their defense would be one of the best in the league, or their offensive line was going to surprise people, don't watch football.

This roster was anemic. It didn't matter what kind of magic Justin Fields might pull off or if Matt Eberflus was some sort of wizard, the Bears simply weren't going to win with this level of talent on the field.

But hey, hey, hey, that's okay! Ryan Pace left the house a mess. His last two years he punted money into the future and passed out bad contracts in a desperate attempt to keep his job. He failed. But he succeeded in giving Ryan Poles a lot to clean up. Poles made a decision, we're punting 2022. Some fans and content creators didn't see it, but it was obvious to most. They needed a fresh canvas in 2023, and that's what Poles went out to do.

When the Bears sat with a 3-4 record, nobody in the world thought they would end up with the number one pick, but then something magical happened. Justin Fields separated himself. He showed that he is the Bears' QB of the present and the future. He showed Ryan Poles that he was a part of his plans and Poles, who certainly didn't commit to Fields in his first offseason, saw the promise and went out and grabbed Chase Claypool for him. The sign that Fields had arrived and the franchise would support him.

With a 3-4 record and a QB taking off like a rocket, I think fans certainly expected a few more wins, but something happened, Fields continued to grow and flash greatness, and the Bears couldn't win a game. Suddenly a 10-game losing streak was upon us, and the Bears finished 3-14.

If you're going to be bad, be really bad. And now the Chicago Bears have a giant pile of money and the number one pick in the draft and already have their quarterback in Justin Fields. Fan-(you know what)-tastic! So yes, this season was perfect, thanks to Lovie Smith officially giving the Houston Texans the middle finger and winning the final game of the season, it's the Bears that control the draft, and not the Texans.

So yes Bears fans, somehow the Bears stunk so bad they were the worst team in the NFL AND they found their QB in Justin Fields. If you told me the Bears would be 3-14 and picking first overall, I would have just assumed Justin Fields would be exiting Chicago this offseason, but that is not the case.

Now the eyes turn from Fields to Poles. The Bears players delivered a perfect regular season, and now it's Poles' turn to deliver a perfect offseason.

Quick Hits

• You should give every GM 3 offseasons before you judge their progress, but this offseason will be the defining one in Ryan Poles' career.
• It's tough to grade the work of Matt Eberflus this year, but next year, we can truly decide if he's the right man for the job.
• The toughest decision Poles has to make this offseason is David Montgomery. The free agent class is flooded this year, so Monty may agree to come back on a short, cheap deal.
• I believe Cody Whitehair has played his final snap in a Bears' uniform.
• Ideally, after free agency and the draft, I'd like to see 5 new starters on offense and 6 new starters on defense. That's not going to be easy to pull off.
• Roquan Smith's contract extension literally worked out for everyone.
• Some early offensive names I'd like to see the Bears explore: Kaleb McGary, Ethan Pocic, Jakobi Meyers, DeAndre Hopkins
• Bears Twitter needs to stop crushing Jalen Carter, they should be thrilled if he's a Chicago Bear.
• Justin Fields is my quarterback.
• Hilariously too early 2023 record prediction: 8-9