The Chicago Bears have three games to play. The playoffs are still a possibility despite their 6-7 record. So it’s at least nice to know they’re playing meaningful football in December. Whether that lasts beyond this Sunday in Minnesota is the big question. Either way, this team has a bevy of things they’ll have to sort through after the season ends from the fate of Allen Robinson to Mitch Trubisky and others.
Questions continue to fire left and right about what will happen. There are plenty of rumors. Enough to where it’s difficult to sort through them all. In an effort to give people a bit of clarity, this will be a predictive piece. Basically a rundown of the biggest decisions that lay ahead for the Bears after the season finale on January 3rd. Presuming they miss the playoffs of course.
Allen Robinson situation could be postponed
A-Rob gets franchise tagged
It’s apparent every week the Bears’ offense still goes through Allen Robinson. He is their steady ship in the storm. He now has two 1,000-yard seasons in three years for Chicago and is still only 27-years old. There is no denying his ability as a #1 receiver. The problem is the two sides haven’t been able to reach common ground on an extension.
Maybe Robinson is angling to hit free agency next March. Just don’t expect the Bears to make it that easy for him. They have the franchise tag in their back pocket and logic says they’ll use it. What they will likely do is use the non-exclusive version. This would allow Robinson to shop around and see if another team is willing to make him an offer.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
If that happens, the Bears would have a choice. Either match the offer or let the receiver go, receiving two 1st round picks in exchange. Since the latter is unlikely, the odds are high Allen Robinson will play at least one more year in Chicago.
Mitch Trubisky leaves in free agency
After regaining his job as the starter, Trubisky has 7 TD passes and just two interceptions in the past three games. He boasts a 100.4 passer rating. The Bears have scored 25 points or more in all three games. Yes, he’s played some less-than-good defenses but the reality is he wasn’t doing this to below-average defenses earlier in the year. It has led to speculation on if maybe, just maybe the kid is starting to turn a corner.
He seems much more comfortable with Bill Lazor calling plays. The offensive coordinator seems to understand how to use him properly and the results speak for themselves. Whether that holds for the rest of the year remains to be seen. Still, what happens if he finishes strong? Would the Bears dare try to retain him?
Don’t count on it. Head coach Matt Nagy may be riding him the rest of the year, but he benched the quarterback for a reason. Clearly, he doesn’t see Trubisky as the future of this team. Expect both sides to part ways.
Ryan Pace is fired
The GM always seems to have a good plan in mind with every offseason. His problem has been executing that plan. He drafted the wrong quarterback in 2017. He traded for an inadequate replacement this year. This isn’t even counting his several other missteps on offense like Kevin White and a lack of investment in the offensive line.
His 2020 offseason isn’t helping his case. While the draft class is playing well to this point, the signing of Robert Quinn is fast becoming arguably the worst in franchise history. Pace handed the 30-year old pass rusher $30 million in guaranteed money and has gotten one sack in return. Now the Bears are basically one loss away from their fifth non-winning record in six seasons under Pace.
This after a 5-1 start. That is not something anybody can just explain away. Pace was given more than enough time to make this franchise a consistent playoff contender. He’s failed. It is time to go.
Matt Nagy is retained
Plenty of people think Nagy and Pace should be a package deal. Understandably so. Pace hired Nagy and what has happened the past three years is tied to both of them. That said, it is never that simple. Bears ownership has to ask some key questions. Did the GM give his head coach a legitimate chance to thrive? Considering Pace will be fired, the answer is pretty obvious.
Nagy never really got to pick his own quarterback. People can talk about Foles but that was more an emergency measure. The last time this franchise actually let the head coach have serious say in which quarterback they got was Dick Jauron back in 1999. Rex Grossman was Jerry Angelo’s pick. Trubisky was Pace’s with minimal backing from John Fox. Nagy is supposed to be a QB expert. So why not let him go find his own guy?
Then there is the contract issue. Unlike Pace, Nagy still has two years left on his deal. With the pandemic hitting the Bears’ revenue streams hard, they likely aren’t thrilled at the prospect of paying one coach to go away while another comes in. It is plausible they will overhaul the front office structure and let the new men in power evaluate him for 2021 while they shift the team towards their own vision.
