#5: Failing to push Pat O’Donnell
Punting is never important in the eyes of fans right up until it’s vital. Great punters are so underappreciated right up until they’re gone. Bears fans didn’t know how good they had it with Brad Maynard until he left. Now the team has been settled with lots of mediocrity since. Pat O’Donnell being the embodiment of such over the past three seasons.
The guy isn’t terrible but he’s far from good. He ranked 24th in the NFL last season and 21st the year before that. Despite having considerable talent the guy struggles with consistency both in his distance and his accuracy. That’s why it’s amazing that the Bears didn’t make any sort of move in the draft or free agency to at least give him some competition.
