What’s the real significance of making the playoffs for the Chicago Bears?
Be honest with yourself. The Chicago Bears never deserved to make the playoffs this season. After winning five of their first six games, many thought the Bears were well on their way to making the playoffs. That is before a six-game losing streak put the Bears playoff hopes on the line.
Now that the Bears have managed to “clinch” a postseason berth with the help of the Los Angeles Rams, there is a certain amount of significance behind the Bears making the playoffs in 2020. Essentially, it means to not expect any real change during the 2021 offseason.
You read the last sentence right. Heading into the year, there were multiple rumors of General Manager Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy being on the hot seat. Then there was the rumor that Nagy had somehow managed to save his job, citing the Bears offensive explosion in December as a major reason why.
Nagy being back is viewed as a victory to some. Many cite his ability to keep the locker room together as a way of vouching for him, saying it’s what makes him a great head coach. However, at the same time, keep in mind this is the same coach who refused to give up playcalling, saying it was an issue, only to see the offense perform better after he had given up playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.
But how about Pace? You’d think that after six offseasons, you’d at least have figured out the quarterback situation. Instead, we all know that Pace has missed on Mike Glennon, Mitchell Trubisky, and Nick Foles. Factor in all the misses he’s had in free agency and mismanagement of the salary cap and it’s enough to get any other GM fired.
Point blank, with Pace and Nagy not being fired, both will be around in 2021 for the regular season. Then, if the Bears make the playoffs next season due to the NFL’s expanded format which is the reason the Bears snuck into the playoffs this year, it means we could see Pace and Nagy back in 2022 for a fifth season together.
Now just imagine Pace and Nagy being back in 2022 and then drafting a quarterback in 2022. The two could certainly use that as a bargaining chip saying they’ve figured out the QB position. It’s hard to trust both in selecting a QB in 2021 anyway.
The biggest issue isn’t even Pace and Nagy. It’s that ownership refuses to make any sort of changes when they need to be made. The Bears have quickly developed a reputation for only making changes when the entire franchise has completely hit rock bottom, not when warning signals are going off saying that change needs to be made.
When the Bears take on the New Orleans Saints during Wild Card weekend, regardless of the result, Pace and Nagy are here to stay in 2021, and if they make the playoffs next season, they could be back at Halas Hall well beyond next season.
