The Chicago Bears are in a really good position with their organization right now. They have the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft along with the most cap space of any team in the league and it is by a lot.
They have a quarterback that proved that he can be the guy going forward. That is farther than a lot of the rebuilding teams are in this league. Now it is time to build upon that.
In doing so, there are going to be a few players that aren’t back with the team for the 2023 season. Some of them are good players that can help a team win but don’t have a place on the roster in the long term for different reasons.
These are the three players that were on the team in 2022 but are not going to be on the team again when training camp starts in 2023:
The Chicago Bears are not likely to bring Bryon Pringle back in 2023.
Byron Pringle was a wide receiver experiment made by Ryan Poles this season but he didn’t do enough to make it where he is going to be a part of the team for the long haul.
Pringle played in 11 games this season and he accumulated 135 yards on 10 receptions with two touchdowns. He wasn’t used all that much which suggests he wasn’t worthy of being more useful and they don’t think he is a part of their future.
Pringle has lots of talent and could find his way with another team next year but he has almost certainly played his final game with the Chicago Bears after a disappointing 2022 season. They will be looking for much more value out of the wide receiver position this off-season.
David Montgomery has been a great player for the Chicago Bears in his career.
It was actually pretty exciting when the Chicago Bears traded up in the third round to take David Montgomery out of Iowa State University. With Jordan Howard leaving, it was obvious that they needed a new back to help their running game.
Montgomery was never one of those super elite running backs in the NFL but he was certainly good enough to celebrate. He did his job very well as the Bears’ primary back from the day he was drafted onward. He should be proud of his time with the team.
He should also be excited about what is next for him. He said goodbye on Instagram a few days ago so it is pretty clear that his time to leave the team is here. It was a good run for him and the future is still incredibly bright for him in his career.
For the Bears, getting some help at running back might be something they need t work on now. Do they spend a draft pick in the early portion of it to get a running back? It is certainly possible. They can find one just like they found Montgomery.
This is a position that is important but it isn’t as important as it once was. They need to be wise with how they spend their money on it. Montgomery was a nice piece but moving on isn’t a bad decision.
N’Keal Harry wasn’t able to help the Chicago Bears all that much this season.
N’Keal Harry is an incredibly talented guy. He was one of the best receivers in the country which is why he was a first-round pick (32nd overall) by the New England Patriots out of Arizona State in 2019. For some reason, however, it didn’t translate to the NFL with the Pats.
He was given a second chance by the Chicago Bears this season as they acquired him in a trade. Unfortunately, as one might guess, it didn’t work out that well with them either. Why would something that didn’t work out for New England all of a sudden work for Chicago?
Harry played in 7 games for the Bears this season and was very underwhelming in those matches. He had seven receptions for 116 yards on the season with one touchdown. He just wasn’t used all that much and didn’t stand out as much when he was given a chance.
The offense being abysmal didn’t help him, Pringle, or anyone else that has some talent but you have to find a way to make an impact if you are a player trying to prove yourself. Harry didn’t really do that.
The Chicago Bears are going to have another major overhaul this offseason and these three players are very unlikely to get back. Hopefully, these changes start to lead to wins.