Chicago Bears: Why a Super Bowl win in 2019 is so important

The Chicago Bears have a great shot to win the Super Bowl in 2019 and they have to take advantage.

Earlier this week, the Chicago Bears topped a list of teams that are entering their Super Bowl window in 2019. The article from Sports Illustrated’s MMQB had the Bears ahead of the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins (not a typo).

According to the story, a common theme of these teams is that they all have solid young cores and good coaching situations — though Freddie Kitchens and Brian Flores are first-year coaches, so who knows what to expect.

At any rate, I completely agree with the Bears being listed at the top of this list. What Ryan Pace has done in a relatively short amount of time to transform this roster has been nothing short of miraculous.

They have a rising quarterback on a rookie deal, a transcendent defense led by one of the best players in the league, and despite allegedly mortgaging their draft future, have managed to fill out the roster with outstanding depth and young talent.

Why then, is it so important for them to win the Super Bowl LIV in Miami this season? Well, if you were to rank their chances in each of their “Super Bowl window” seasons, this year would come in at No. 1. That’s not to say that they won’t have a good chance in subsequent years — after all — that’s the point of it being a ‘window.’

However, based on the way things have fallen into place, and some factors that will impact the future construction of this roster, there is no great time — nor chance to win — like the present.

That’s because, as it stands right now, the Bears are projected to be over next year’s cap by $26 million. Granted, that number should grow as it has each year, but the team will certainly have some difficult decisions to make.

First, there is the possible extension of Cody Whitehair whose deal expires after this year, as does mainstay in the middle, Danny Trevathan. Second, in order to get under the cap, they will likely have to cut some other players and hope to backfill internally. This is why continuing to draft well — including signing quality undrafted free agents — becomes imperative.

Either way, the 2019 version of the Bears return 20 out of 22 starters from last year’s team that went 12-4 and won the division. The only losses were Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan. That number will only grow each year, as the roster will look more and more different from its current composition. As such, the Bears need to maximize not only their Super Bowl window but likely the best chance they have to win within that window. That’s why they are all-in for 2019.