The Chicago Bears have been officially eliminated from the playoffs. Kinda.
They have a 0.1% chance of making the postseason. They need the Packers-Vikings contest to end in a tie on Sunday night to remain alive. For that to happen, and all the other dominoes to fall, however, is highly unlikely.
Leading up to the Bears' penultimate game of the 2023 NFL season, we looked into the scenario they needed for them to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, it didn't go their way. The Los Angeles Rams' win over the New York Giants, 26-25.
The Bears won at home against the Atlanta Falcons, 37-17, to bring them to 7-9 this season. They finished their home slate with a five-game win streak, earning a 5-3 home record this season. And while they did everything they could this week to make the playoffs, the external scenario kept them from advancing.
This season marks the third straight season the Bears have missed the playoffs. Since 2000, the Bears have made the playoffs six times. Over the last decade, the Bears have made the postseason twice, losing in the first round both times.
Next year, the Bears should have a better shot at making the postseason.
Chicago Bears
Head coach Matt Eberflus appears to be returning to his post. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported he would be "surprised" if Eberflus didn't return for a third season with the Bears. Since the Bears have won now five of their last six games, their futures are trending in a positive direction at Halas Hall.
The Bears will also have the tools to continue developing their roster. They are projected to have the seventh-most cap space at around $62 million. With that, they'll be able to continue addressing the pressing needs for their roster.
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The Bears also received the best consolation prize possible for missing the playoffs: the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The Carolina Panthers' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars coupled with the Arizona Cardinals' victory over the Philadelphia Eagles granted the Bears the first pick for a second straight season.
Like last year, the Bears have the right to draft first, should they choose.
And therein lies the overarching question --- will the Bears use the No. 1 pick to select a top player? Or, like last year, will they trade the pick to recoup a haul and trade back in the draft?
If you recall, the Bears traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers. In return, the Bears received the No. 9 pick, a 2023 second-round pick (Tyrique Stevenson), a 2024 first-round pick (which ended up No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft), a 2025 second-round pick and DJ Moore.
Theoretically, the Bears could get a haul for this season's No. 1 pick. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all arguably more coveted assets than last year's herd. But, the Bears could use one of them themselves.
If they decide to move on from Justin Fields, they will undoubtedly use the pick to draft a quarterback. But if they continue with Fields, they could draft Harrison Jr. to give Fields another weapon next to Moore.
Either way, they choose, their earning of back-to-back No. 1 picks is historic. Before the Bears, only eight teams have earned back-to-back No. 1 picks. Here are the teams who have earned the first pick in consecutive seasons.
- Chicago Bears (2023-24)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2021-22)
- Cleveland Browns (2017-18)
- Cleveland Browns (1999-00)
- Cincinnati Bengals (1994-95)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986-87)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976-77)
- Philadelphia Eagles (1936-37)
Stay tuned this offseason to see what the Bears do with their second No. 1 pick.
