Bears: Now is not the time to go into panic mode

To say that the 2019 season has not gone the way Bears fans have expected is a massive understatement. The team has been very disappointing, but it is not time to panic yet.

As much as it hurts to say, the postseason outlook for the Chicago Bears does not look good. Green Bay and Minnesota are absolutely rolling, while Detroit is also on the upswing. Although a 3-4 record is very manageable in most divisional races, the NFC North is not most divisions. To win this North, a team would need to be around the 13 win mark, and to earn the wild card spot, probably around 11 wins.

Due to a very poor first half of the season by Matt Nagy and company, the division title and home field advantage are out of the question, barring any freakish play out in the NFC North. However, although it is without a doubt a stretch, there is a real possibility that the. Bears can show out for the rest of the season and earn a wild card spot. This would mean that the Bears would need to win close to every game on the rest of their extremely difficult schedule, but true fans understand that this team truly has the ability to beat anyone.

Every team hits a point of adversity that is seemingly rock bottom. In these moments, nothing but doubt and uncertainty surrounds the squad and it seems as if the world is against them. These are the times in which great groups pull themselves up by their bootstraps and decide that nothing will stop them from achieving greatness. Perhaps this is the moment where the Bears develop a sense of urgency and rekindle that underdog fire from the 2018 season. Although I do not expect the Monsters of the Midway to make a playoff appearance this year, they simply cannot be counted out less than half way through the season.

Even if the Bears ended up missing the postseason, there is no doubting that this group is a Super Bowl contender, barring a few positional fixes. The quarterback position without a doubt needs to be addressed this Summer. This season has showed the world that Mitch Trubisky is simply not going to be the guy to take the Bears to the promised land, meaning it is time to bite the bullet and accept that taking Trubisky second overall in 2017 NFL Draft.

However, the quarterback position is not something that should be addressed at the trade deadline, but rather in free agency or the draft. The Bears are already low on draft capital, and trading for another mediocre quarterback on an expiring deal is simply not a smart move to make at this point. By no means do I believe that this season is a lost cause or that Mitchell Trubisky is a good enough starter for the Bears going forward. However, holding out to get a better and long-term option at quarterback is without a doubt the wiser option.

This concept of patience should be applied generally at the trade deadline, not just as it pertains to the quarterback position. The Bears must avoid any “all-in” or “firesafe” moves come the deadline, as impulse moves as these should only be made by serious contenders and rebuilding teams. Certainly if a smart move can be made, Ryan Pace should pull the trigger. However, making moves purely off of emotion and impulse of the moment could be tragic.

In whole, nothing can be done about this season personnel-wise can be done until the offseason. Although it is slim, there is a real possibility that Chicago can sneak into a playoff spot. However,  even if they don’t, this group is good enough to win a title in the future contingent on addressing the quarterback position in some way after the 2019 season. Every Bears fan has the right to be livid about the way this season has played out, with includes myself, but now is not the time to enter panic mode.