The Chicago Bears clearly believe they are entering a competitive window where they can contend right now. Because of that mindset, it is not surprising that the roster is a bit older than many fans may expect. Teams trying to win immediately often rely on veterans to stabilize key positions, and Chicago followed that approach throughout the offseason.
The Chicago Bears' roster is 23rd oldest in the NFL
According to Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life, the Bears currently have the 23rd-oldest roster in the NFL. When looking at the rest of the NFC, that ranking should not come as much of a surprise.
Several of the conference contenders also rank toward the older side of the league. The San Francisco 49ers rank 31st in roster youth, while the Los Angeles Rams come in at 26th. The Philadelphia Eagles are 20th, and the Seattle Seahawks sit 17th. That means five of the seven NFC playoff teams from last season are relying on relatively older rosters as they continue to chase Super Bowl contention.
There are exceptions, of course. The Green Bay Packers surprisingly rank as the fifth-youngest roster in the NFL, although they also moved on from veterans such as Romeo Doubs, Rasheed Walker, and Rashan Gary this offseason. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions rank 13th, and the Minnesota Vikings rank seventh.
The important detail for the Bears is that many of the veterans impacting the average age are not viewed as the long-term foundation of the roster. Players such as Khalif Raymond, Joe Thuney, Grady Jarrett, and T. J. Edwards help raise the overall age, but they are more complementary veterans than the centerpiece of the franchise moving forward.
The true core of the roster is still very young. Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, Darnell Wright, and Dillon Thieneman are all players the Bears hope can become foundational pieces for years to come. None of those players have reached their prime yet, which is part of why the future still looks promising despite the roster age ranking.
The bigger long-term challenge may come when those younger players become eligible for major contracts around the same time. Eventually, Chicago could face difficult decisions about which core players to keep and which players may have to leave in free agency.
Still, those are the types of problems successful teams want to have. Building around young talent at premium positions makes it easier to attract veterans and fill out the rest of the roster. Even with an older overall roster, the Bears appear to be in a strong position moving forward.
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