Should The Chicago Bears Tank?

Jan 17, 2013; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery (right) introduces new head coach Marc Trestman during a press conference at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears are 3-6 on the season and have nine games remaining before the end of the 2014 regular season. With 6 losses and counting, any chance the Bears had of making the playoffs is all but over. With playoffs no longer an option, should the Bears embrace tanking? 

Tanking is a practice that no professional sports team will go on record to discuss. The Chicago Bulls avoided any talk of tanking last season after the injury to Derrick Rose and the trade of Luol Deng. Fortunately, for the Bulls, the team rebounded in the second half of the season and earned a spot in the NBA playoffs.

Unfortunately, for the Chicago Bears, the thought of playoffs has been suspended until the 2015 regular season. With a record of 3-6, the Bears have too much of a hill to climb. That is assuming the Bears could even take the first step.

If there is one thing the 2014 season has proven for the Bears it is that the Bears need wholesale changes. Bears’ general manager Phil Emery, head coach Marc Trestman, and quarterback Jay Cutler all need to be out of their current positions. Emery likely will be safe regardless of how the Bears finish out the season, but with each passing week, the odds are growing that Trestman will be fired at season’s end.

Then there is Cutler. The Bears need to find a way to get out from under Cutler’s $54 million guaranteed. The only resolution would be to trade the starting quarterback. Of course, the Bears would only trade Cutler if they had a viable alternative mind. The alternative for the Bears could come in the form of the 2015 NFL Draft.

If the draft were this Thursday, the Bears would currently possess the 10th overall selection.

For a team looking for a new starting quarterback. having a top-10 pick is somewhat of a necessity.