Chicago Bears: Culture change is a breath of fresh air

After years of turmoil and dysfunction, it appears the tide might be starting to turn for the Chicago Bears.

It’s fair to say that over the last few years the Chicago Bears have been a disaster.  Actually, that’s probably being too kind.  The damage Phil Emery and Marc Trestman did to this organization seemed irreparable.  When they were mercifully terminated, and the dust settled, what remained wasn’t pretty.

Then Ryan Pace came on board and hired John Fox.  Bears fans were optimistic again.  And they had good reason to be optimistic.  Although the Denver Broncos had just fired Fox, he was only two-years removed from a Super Bowl appearance.  He also had a reputation for turning teams around.

Unfortunately, the honeymoon didn’t last long.  In three years, Fox was 14-34 with a .292 winning percentage (second lowest in franchise history).   Granted, Phil Emery left the cupboards bare.  However, Ryan Pace was not able to attract top-level free agents to Chicago.  Furthermore, he had some bad luck with Kevin White, his very first draft pick.

Once again, Chicago Bears fans’ optimism was quickly replaced with despair.  Some even worried the Bears were further away from competing than before they hired Fox.  So when they fired Fox and hired Matt Nagy, Bears fans had every reason to be cautious.  Heck, no one could even fault them for being downright hopeless.

However, for the first time in a while, there is legitimate hope and optimism in the air. Beginning with the head coaching search, there were signs that things were changing.  Multiple candidates came out of their interview thoroughly impressed with the Bears.

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Even Matt Nagy’s introductory press conference felt different.  He was transparent, honest, and thoughtful in his responses.  His demeanor was a refreshing change from the tight-lipped, sarcastic John Fox.

Now no one cares whether your team “wins the press conference.”  Believe me, no one knows that more than Bears fans.  However, there have been tangible developments since then that provide hope.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, the Allen Robinson signing was significant for many reasons.  One of those reasons is that it helps to change the perception that the Bears are not a legitimate destination for quality free agents.  Unfortunately, there are naysayers who will argue Robinson’s options were limited due to his injury and contract demands.  However, that seems to be pure speculation on their part.

Even if you buy that argument, there are other examples of players being excited to join the Bears.  Granted, Prince Amukamara was already on the team, but he was still a free agent.  A tweet this morning about his desire to stay in Chicago is very revealing.

Amukamara only wanted to play for the Chicago Bears.  Read that tweet again.  He only wanted to play for the Bears.  Did you ever think you’d read about a free agent only wanting to play in Chicago?

If you’re still doubting that a culture change is underway, take a look at another tweet.  This one is from Chase Daniel, the Bears new backup quarterback.  These three have been teammates for about twelve minutes, and they are already discussing their goals for the upcoming season.  If that doesn’t get you a little giddy, then I can’t help you.

All of this follows earlier reports that Mitch Trubisky invited teammates out to Los Angeles for private workouts.  Now you can dismiss these as “feel good” stories that mean nothing without on the field success.  But that would be a mistake.  They are significant for a couple of reasons.

First, it is critical to the success of a team if there is harmony in the locker room.  Granted, there are examples of teams overcoming internal discord to win, but the Bears don’t have that kind of talent.  This team needs to be on the same page.

Second, with a new coach on board, it is imperative that everyone on the team is pulling in the same direction.  Nagy is going to do things differently than Fox.  He is also a first-time head coach.  Therefore, his transition will be much easier if his team buys into one another.

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Bottom Line

All Chicago Bears fans want to see success on the field.  Ultimately, we will judge this regime by the numbers of wins and losses.  However, it’s only March and the team and its new players have given all Bears fans reason to feel good again.