LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Ryan Poles recognized the challenge he was arriving to at Halas Hall when hired as the Bears’ new general manager early last year. This team needed a complete reboot to reach the goal of sustained success under his watch. 

Poles can hope that Sunday at Soldier Field represents the end of this new beginning as the Bears (3-13) host the Vikings (12-4) in the finale of a challenging rebuilding season. The Bears have endured a grueling 2022 campaign that has featured struggles on the field, injuries to key players and a franchise-record nine straight losses. The playoff-bound Vikings seem almost certain to serve up a 10^th consecutive defeat. 

The Bears lacked competitive depth going into this season, this as Poles diligently worked to overhaul the roster he inherited from former general manager Ryan Pace. But at the end of this first year, Chicago will be without second-year quarterback Justin Fields (hip) plus key figures like wide receiver Darnell Mooney (ankle), safety Eddie Jackson (Lisfranc injury), cornerback Jaylon Johnson (finger), right guard Teven Jenkins (neck) and many more.  

That list doesn’t even include key players traded players like linebacker Roquan Smith (Ravens) and pass rusher Robert Quinn (Eagles), whom Poles believed were better served being dealt for draft capital rather than attempting to compete with a roster still building from rock bottom. 

The Bears are set with a top-four pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and could still potentially land the No. 1 overall selection if they lose to the Vikings and the Texans (2-13-1) defeat the Colts (4-11-1) on Sunday in Indianapolis.  

When he addresses the end of this season and answers to his plan, Poles will reiterate the words of many general managers before him — that he hopes this team is never again in this position picking at the top of the draft because of a poor record. Now, Poles must continue his vision for the Bears and bring continued seasons of victory as promised for Chicago. 

The Bears’ offseason begins in earnest on March 13 when teams can begin negotiating with free agents. Chicago boasts more than $120 million in projected salary cap space and has glaring holes to address on the roster. Poles must upgrade nearly every position on the Bears’ depth chart, whether that’s with an impact starter or stronger depth. 

Of course, Poles and the Bears don’t have to stake a claim as the “Free Agency Winners” this offseason. That salary cap space is a luxury that can allow bold roster moves when the time is right.  

Last offseason, stars like Davante Adams (Raiders), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), A.J. Brown (Eagles) and more were dealt to teams in position to take on a hefty contract. Adams could again be on the move this offseason, as well as wide receivers Tee Higgins (Bengals) and Brandin Cooks (Texans). There are sure to be other stars that emerge in potential deals. 

But the blueprint Poles has utilized to conduct this rebuild is based on plans for the draft. Teams can turn around in one offseason but those who win for years do so more through the draft. The Bears currently own eight selections in this next draft, including that golden ticket at the top of the first round. 

Poles and the Bears must carefully consider every avenue with the first or second overall pick, including evaluating whether top quarterback prospects Bryce Young (Alabama) or C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) represent a better future for Chicago than Fields. 

In fact, Poles will certainly work with this concept in mind — the type of due diligence that’s required picking in this position. But if the Bears do have strong convictions in Fields, their best route would be to seek the type of trade down that the Dolphins executed prior to the 2021 NFL Draft. Miami dealt the No. 3 overall pick to San Francisco in exchange for the No. 12 selection and two future first-round picks. The Dolphins then turned their 2022 first-round pick sent by the 49ers over to the Chiefs in their blockbuster deal for Hill.  

The Dolphins made this trade with confidence that 2020 top pick Tua Tagovailoa could emerge as a franchise quarterback, and that has proven true when healthy this season. 

The emergence of Young and Stroud this past season means the Bears should have significant value with either one of the top two picks. Could a quarterback-needy team like the Commanders, Saints, Panthers or Colts be willing to strike a deal at the top of the draft and secure a place for Young or Stroud?  

For Poles and the Bears, this is the trade that offers the Bears the type of assets to build into a contender. It’s how to turn a first season filled with losing into tremendous opportunity for the future. 

Ultimately, the fate of these Bears is on Poles. Tearing down this franchise to the bottom was the easy part of his tall task. Building towards sustained success is a remarkable challenge ahead. 

So, once Sunday’s season finale has passed and the Bears move past these challenges with a renewed spirit, the real work lies ahead. 

4-down territory 

1. Moving past the Hamlin scare 

All around the NFL, there were raw and genuine emotions felt as Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium during a Monday Night Football game against the Bengals. 

A national television audience watched in horror as the 24-year-old Hamlin was given CPR on the field and taken away in an ambulance, the once-meaningful game suddenly suspended with players unable to play. Those players who watched from afar felt the personal significance. As the Bears returned to work on Wednesday morning at Halas Hall, the team took note of the difficult circumstances. 

The Bears made resources available to their players, including team clinician Carla Suber, and encouraged them to express their true feelings of what Hamlin’s ordeal meant to them. 

“You saw the way that players cared about each other,” Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams said. “They talked to each other. Some of the older guys took the younger guys under their wing like you would expect, talked to them, walked them through it.  

“Everyone handles it differently. If you need someone to talk to, that is not a sign of weakness. We made sure that we threw that up there.” 

On Thursday, Hamlin was making “substantial progress” at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The encouraging results have resonated throughout the concerned NFL, where players have been seeking updates ever since Monday night. 

But the shock and scare of Hamlin’s situation has left players to reflect on their concerns playing this dangerous game. Bears running back David Montgomery called his mother and said he loved her upon watching Hamlin go down in Cincinnati. 

“It put it into perspective of understanding this is way bigger than the game,” Montgomery told reporters on Wednesday. “A lot of people don’t get that we’re humans as well. When that stuff happens, we all got emotions. We all get emotional. And that’s being professional football players. Sometimes, I can personally speak for myself, we have to kind of be that tough guy, act like things don’t faze us. But that was an emotional moment and then being able to see the Bills and the Bengals come together, not as a single team. But they were coming together and love on each other. Because it was very emotional. It showed that this league is full of players, it’s powerful and we love each other. 

“It made me look at it completely different and understand that it’s important to tell your family members and everybody that you love them.” 

The Bears joined teams, players, coaches and executives around the NFL by donating $19,203 to the Chasing M Foundation Toy Drive. The donation represents the year the Bears were founded, 1920, in addition to the No. 3 that Hamlin wears for the Bills.

The Chasing M Foundation Toy Drive has exceeded more than $7.5 million and counting in donations. 

2. Bears proud of Fields’ progress 

With one game remaining in his second season, Fields is left only to help his teammates prepare to play without him. The Bears ruled out Fields for their finale after he suffered a hip strain during their loss in Detroit. 

Fields is “peeved,” as Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko put it. He wants to be out there and play once more — fighting through the pain as he has so often during his young football career. But the team must look after the health of Fields. They must do so with hopes for what he represents to the future. 

At the end of this season, Janocko is reflecting first on the driven competitor he has come to find in Fields. 

“I mean, he wants this to be his franchise,” Janocko said. “He wants this to be his city. Just the way he works. Spend five minutes with the kid. He’s a dude. He’s a dog. He’s an alpha.” 

Fields played in 15 games this season, completing 60.4% of his passes for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, adding 160 carries for 1,143 yards and 8 rushing scores. Fields finished just 63 yards shy of the single-season rushing record for a quarterback set by Lamar Jackson (Ravens) during his MVP campaign in 2019. 

But there’s plenty that Fields must improve as he looks towards a future with the Bears. For all the spectacular moments he produced, Fields is also partially responsible for a passing offense that ranked at the bottom of the NFL. He has thrown the same amount of passing yards this season as Jackson, who has played in three fewer games than Fields.  

Of course, the Bears’ lack of production in the passing game doesn’t solely rest on Fields. The team didn’t supply him with a dynamic group at wide receiver, the offensive line struggled in protection throughout the season and the new offense supplied for his second season proved to be an adjustment. 

Fields’ top wide receiver was Darnell Mooney, who had 40 receptions before suffering a season-ending injury in late November. He has worked throughout this season without a true No. 1 target. 

“The quarterback-receiver relationship is critical,” Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “I think establishing that, having that consistently every week, it’s critical to both of their successes. I think when you’re throwing the football, usually the person’s not where they’re supposed to be already, and so the anticipation of body movements and angles and depths and how a guy reacts to a particular leverage that he’s faced, I think all that stuff and having those reps behind it, is vital. It’s the most critical thing of the passing game.” 

While the Bears had their focus on this final game of the season, Getsy and Janocko were already making plans to truly study and evaluate the sophomore year for Fields. It’s going to be part of a comprehensive look by the Bears in assessing the growth and progress of Fields and what’s next for their future. 

The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields was inherited by the Bears’ new regime this past offseason. He is set to enter his critical third NFL season boasting continuity in scheme and coaching. The hope is for continued progress and development into next season. 

Though deep evaluations are set to take place, the Bears are proud of the progress Fields has displayed. 

“You see him growing all around,” Janocko said. 

3. Getsy a head coach candidate? 

When Mike McCarthy brought in Luke Getsy for an interview as an offensive quality control coach with the Packers in early 2014, he could sense the right makeup in this candidate. 

McCarthy was struck by the way Getsy carried himself, and brought him in for that opportunity. Along the way, Getsy followed the lead of McCarthy, who promoted him through the ranks and became a close mentor. 

In reflecting on Getsy’s rise to this point, now in his first year as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, McCarthy still sees promise in his protégé’s future. 

“No doubt about it,” McCarthy said in July. “I think Luke is definitely on the path of being a head coach in this league.” 

That opportunity for Getsy could soon be on the horizon. Last January, he interviewed with the Broncos for their head-coaching opportunity. The 38-year-old Getsy could again be an intriguing candidate for open vacancies. 

“I got to be exposed to kind of the bigger picture of everything, so that was a really good opportunity,” Getsy said on Thursday when reflecting on his interview with the Broncos. “I thought those people in Denver were outstanding. It kind of gets you on that thought process of a bigger picture. It actually helped prepare me for this opportunity to be honest with you. I’ve always viewed is as, when you’re the quarterbacks coach, you’re the head coach of the quarterbacks; when you’re the receivers coach, you’re the head coach of the receivers; when you’re the offensive coordinator, you’re the head coach of the offense. And so that was pretty cool to kind of get yourself aligned and ready to go for your thought process in how you would lead a team.” 

The Broncos again have an opening at head coach, though they seem highly unlikely to reconsider Getsy after firing his fellow Packers coach Nathaniel Hackett after just one season. The Panthers and Colts also have openings to fill, and the Cardinals likely will soon have a position open as well.  

However, there will likely not be near the nine openings from the last coaching cycle and those numbers will work against Getsy’s candidacy. So too will his lack of experience to this point. Only one candidate hired last year — Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel — was hired after just a year as a coordinator. The return of Getsy to the Bears in 2023 would mean Justin Fields could enjoy continuity on offense following a transition in scheme last offseason. 

Getsy is leading a Bears offense that ranks 23^rd in scoring and 28^th in yardage, though there’s a unique imbalance that reflects his work to this point. Chicago ranks dead last in passing yardage and first in rushing offense. 

It’s a reflection of how Getsy has worked around the Bears’ lack of top-tier talent on offense and found a way to production.  

“I don’t look and see that we’re first in rushing, (and) I don’t’ look and see we’re last in passing,” Getsy said. “I really don’t evaluate it each week like that. I think as the season ends, I begin to evaluate how we can grow as a team and where we need to go. That balance has to happen, yes. I think that to be sustainably good, you have to have more balance. That’s real. We know that. But we look at each individual on our team, and we say, ‘What’s the best way for us to win a game?’ We’re going to take that approach every single week as long as I’m here.” 

4. Hester heading towards the Hall 

Bears great Devin Hester was named one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, marking the second straight year he has reached this point. 

While those who watched and enjoyed Hester’s illustrious career argued he should’ve been a first-ballot selection to Canton, many of the game’s greats immortalized in the Hall of Fame had to wait their turn. It seems Hester could find the same fortunes his second time on the ballot. 

Hester is the NFL’s all-time leader in return touchdowns with 20 scores, including 14 punt return touchdowns. He played eight of his 11 NFL seasons with the Bears, recording all but one of his return touchdowns for Chicago. 

“Whenever you say that somebody is the best at a position in the NFL, when you say they’re the best, the greatest of all time, he should be in the Hall of Fame,” former Bears head coach Lovie Smith told me in 2017 after Hester officially announced his retirement. 

Current Bears special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower sees the case for Hester similarly to Smith. 

“If you want to talk what the Hall of Fame is supposed to represent, it’s supposed to represent being the best players at their positions — the best players to ever play the game,” Hightower said. “I don’t think that there’s a question that Devin Hester is the best player at the return position.” 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be first announced in February during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona. 

Quote to note 

“Always encouraging, always upbeat, always thoughtful, and it’s been a joy to get to know her this last year.” 

―Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, on team matriarch Virginia McCaskey, who turned 100 on Thursday 

Injury report 

QB Justin Fields (hip) — Fields suffered this latest injury during last Sunday’s loss in Detroit and has been ruled out for the season finale at Soldier Field. 

CB Kyler Gordon (groin) — The rookie Gordon appeared on the injury report with the groin injury on Thursday, an indication he suffered the injury during practice.  

CB Jaylon Jones (concussion) — After suffering a concussion at Ford Field, Jones has not yet been cleared from the protocol. 

WR Dante Pettis (head) — It was good to see Pettis back with the Bears after being checked into a Detroit hospital with reports of blurred vision. 

OL Ja’Tyre Carter (back) — A sixth-round pick to the Bears, the rookie Carter could see his first snaps on offense Sunday. 

TE Trevon Wesco (ankle) — Wesco has been dealing with nagging injuries down the stretch run — first a calf issue and now this ankle ailment. 

LS Patrick Scales (neck) — Scales has played 102 games with the Bears over the last eight years, and hasn’t missed a game since missing the 2017 season with a torn ACL. 

Emma’s Prediction (12-4): Vikings 28, Bears 16 

With all due respect to Nathan Peterman, this Bears offense isn’t the same without Justin Fields leading the way. The Vikings have struggled defensively but will settle in against this shorthanded bunch. Chicago will end its season losing 10 straight.