Chicago Bears must end this kicker experiment
If the Chicago Bears want to be a real Super Bowl contender, they need to end this charade at the kicker position.
The Chicago Bears have serious aspirations of winning the Super Bowl this season and are considered legitimate contenders by many prognosticators to do just that.
In fact, their motto for the season “Chasing Great” underscores that goal but also serves as a reminder of a missed opportunity from last season in which yet another Cody Parkey blunder cost the team a chance to advance in the playoffs and make a serious run.
However, before the Bears can be considered real contenders by yours truly (and likely many other fans) they have to resolve their kicking situation.
Look, I’m as nauseated as you are that it’s June and we’re still questioning whether the team has a remotely competent kicker, let alone an upgrade over Parkey. However, until they resolve the issue, it will continue to be a topic of conversation.
That conversation intensified on Tuesday when all three kickers, Eddy Pineiro, Chris Blewitt (waived this morning), and Elliott Fry, all missed a 42-yard field goal in succession. It was a microcosm of the debacle that has been the Bears’ kicking competition.
More from Matt Nagy on the kicker situation: “That’s about as real as it gets. They were 0-for-3 out there. And for today, that’s not good enough. I mean, we can’t have that. It’s... you just… that’s... we’re going to figure this thing out, but 0-for-3 today, no good.”
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) June 11, 2019
Needless to say, Matt Nagy was not the least bit amused. When asked what went through his mind after all three missed he replied, “whatever went through your mind went through my mind.”
In many ways, Nagy’s comments reflect how the entire fan base feels. It’s also a candid take on the situation and reveals the weakness at the position is starting to irritate the head coach.
Well, if the Bears want to end all this nonsense and solidify themselves as a legitimate contender, then they need to end this charade and go get a competent kicker.
The team is as deep and talented as they’ve been in a long time. But the reality is rosters don’t remain like this for very long. If they’re lucky, they have a four-year window, and they already squandered one of those years by failing to have a competent kicker.
They can’t afford to go into this season with the kicker as a question mark. It’s time to check-in on the availability of former Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, and even current San Francisco 49er Robbie Gould, who interestingly, still has not signed his franchise tender.
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At this point, if Bryant doesn’t get them jazzed up, then the Bears are going to have to bite the bullet and pony up a draft pick for Gould. This is not the time to bite your nose to spite your face. Ryan Pace has ponied up significantly more in draft capital to shore up this Super Bowl contender. Don’t get stingy now.