Chicago Bears: New playoff format would really help team

If the NFL is actually changing the playoff format starting in 2020, the Chicago Bears would really benefit from the change.

The Chicago Bears went 8-8 in an incredibly disappointing season that had Super Bowl or bust expectations going into it. They were one of the first teams out of the playoffs in 2019 with their .500 schedule. They need many improvements to their team, but the NFL might have just given them another boost that could really help them get in the 2020-21 NFL Playoffs.

ESPN’s top football insider, Adam Schefter, is reporting that the new proposed CBA has there being seven teams making the playoffs from each conference. He is reporting that this would go into effect this upcoming season. It would have each conference with one team on a bye week. The new CBA would still need to be approved over the next few weeks.

This structure would certainly keep the Bears in the race a lot longer next season. They still need to iron out the quarterback situation, the offensive line, and a tight end. With that said, having an extra team from the NFC in the playoffs would significantly increase their chances in 2020. If the structure was that way in 2019, the Los Angeles Rams would have been the seventh team and the Bears would have been the first team out.

That means that if they make some of those needed moves, they could absolutely be in the playoffs in 2020. It would at the very least, give the Bears a chance to be in the race all the way through to the end of the season. It would also make it much more entertaining for pretty much every team in the NFL as more teams would be in the race longer.

This move would expand the regular season to 17 games per team while shortening the preseason to three games. That is another interesting note to consider when evaluating how the Bears will be in 2020. Either way, adding a playoff team would increase the Bears’ chances of being in the playoffs for the foreseeable future.