How much pressure is on Matt Eberflus and the Bears to win in 2023?

Matt Eberflus is entering his second season as the Chicago Bears head coach after winning just three games in 2022. His first year in Chicago was something of a free pass, however. General manager Ryan Poles stripped the roster with an eye toward beginning his rebuild this offseason.

And rebuild he did.

Poles made several aggressive moves over the last few months, with none bigger than the decision to trade the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers selected QB Bryce Young first overall, which only brightens the spotlight on Justin Fields and the Bears’ decision to tag him as the future of the franchise.

The Bears got WR DJ Moore and a boatload of draft picks for the No. 1 selection, which further cements their position on Fields. They not only passed on a blue-chip quarterback prospect for him, they also doubled down by getting him a high-profile wide receiver.

That decision will ratchet up the pressure on Eberflus in 2023, whether fair or not. If Young plays well and Fields struggles? You can bet NFL talking heads won’t waste any time directing blame at the Bears’ GM and head coach for a misguided decision.

It’s also why NFL.com set the Chicago Bears’ 2023 urgency meter at 7.5. It’s the 10th-highest urgency “score” entering the year.

Let’s start here: I thought Chicago played this offseason in a smart and sensible manner. The Bears opted to go all in on third-year quarterback Justin Fields, trading out of the No. 1 overall pick and then using that bounty — along with the rest of their draft class and free agency — to construct a far more compelling roster than what we saw during last season’s 3-14 bloodletting. The decision to stick with Fields as The Future was presented as a no-brainer by Bears brass, but they’ll have their fingers crossed the former first-round pick will reward their faith now that he’s surrounded by better talent. The second-year tandem of head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles could be in trouble if Fields is still seen as an untapped resource by this time next year. The Lions were the NFL’s feel-good story in 2022 — if the Bears don’t follow a similar trajectory, questions will be asked about this NFC North squad’s current leadership.

Dan Hanzus, NFL.com

I’m not sure the Bears need a Detroit Lions-like year in 2023 for Eberflus and Poles to avoid criticism. No one expected Detroit to be that competitive so soon. If anything, the Lions’ success in 2022 has placed more pressure on Dan Campbell, Detroit is a sexy preseason playoff pick because of last year. That’s a bet I’ll avoid.

If Chicago approaches a .500 record? The year will be dubbed a success.

Indeed, the Chicago Bears have to start winning soon. Fans have run out of patience. Justin Fields is eligible for a new contract next offseason, and if the Bears don’t show signs of life in 2023, the offseason will be littered with terrible quarterback takes.

But there’s no reason to believe there won’t be a step forward in 2023. The Bears’ roster is significantly improved on both sides of the ball. The offense has new playmakers and pass protectors. The defense has a revamped line and linebacker corps.

The arrow is pointing up in Chicago, and with it comes increased pressure to succeed.