Bears Bold Predictions: Who will be the quarterback, head coach in 2024?

The Chicago Bears’ 2023 playoff chances aren’t completely dead entering Week 16, but at 5-9 and a longshot at best for the postseason, it’s time to start diving into some of the big-picture questions facing this team over the next three weeks.

We decided to conduct a roundtable discussion with the Bears Talk staff to get their perspective on the two biggest questions facing the Bears as the offseason inches closer: Who will be the Chicago Bears quarterback and head coach in 2024?

We also have a bold prediction for each staffer.

Let’s go.

BRYAN (@BryanPerezNFL)

Who will be the Bears QB in 2024?

If the Chicago Bears end the 2023 season with the No. 1 pick, it’ll be Caleb Williams. He’s simply too talented to pass up, and the added benefit of resetting the quarterback clock makes it a no-brainer decision. This is no knock against Justin Fields, either. I think Fields will eventually settle in as a very good NFL starter who can lead a team on a deep playoff run. Perhaps his ceiling is that of a more athletic Ryan Tannehill, a lot of teams would love to have a quarterback like that. But Williams’ upside is enormous. The Patrick Mahomes comps are unfair, of course, but he has a chance to be the kind of player whose unique style and rare talent make him special in his own right.

Who will be the Bears coach in 2024?

It’ll be Matt Eberflus, and I have almost no doubt about that. If we zoom out a little, it becomes pretty obvious that Eberflus has done a really good job with the Chicago Bears. Yes, he’s been bashed (and rightfully so) for not having his team capable of finishing three games this season (that would’ve made them a virtual lock for the playoffs), but think back to the state of the Bears when he took over. They were the worst roster in the NFL. While Poles has done a fantastic job adding talent through the draft and free agency, Eberflus is responsible for the uptick in locker room culture and all-around hustle we’re seeing every week, especially on defense. He’ll have at least one more season in Chicago, and if the Bears keep improving their win total year over year, “Flus will be around for a while.

Bold prediction

This will sound crazy, but do the Bears have to pick ‘one or the other” regarding the looming quarterback decision? Why not treat the first overall pick like a college program, adding a five-star recruit while having an upperclassman on the roster? Sure, it’d be weird and virtually unprecedented, but Chicago would retain excellent trade value in whoever loses the quarterback competition. And it’s that same competition that will bring out the best in both quarterbacks. Look, the Bears have never had a franchise quarterback. I’m not ready to give up on Fields, but I’m also not ready to pass on Williams. Poles will be in a uniquely powerful position … to have both. And I think he’ll give it very serious consideration.

Pete (@Pete_Martuneac)

Who will be the Bears QB in 2024?

A rookie. Justin Fields will not be Chicago’s quarterback in 2024, and it’s not necessarily his fault. Despite his struggles and inconsistencies, he has grown and improved somewhat. His supporters say he’s a quarterback you can win with, and they may be right. The problem for Fields is that Chicago owns the right to Carolina’s first-round pick, and that’s currently sitting at first overall with just three games left. You can’t expect GM Ryan Poles to once again pass on a quarterback out of loyalty to Justin Fields, especially not when phenomenal prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will be sitting there for the taking. Thanks for the memories, Justin, and best of luck to you wherever you end up next.

Who will be the Bears coach in 2024?

This one’s tougher to answer than the quarterback question. The defense has been so much better since the Montez Sweat trade. However, they still gave up over 200 yards passing to Joe Flacco last week just in the fourth quarter alone, and a lot of that seemed to be the fault of poor coaching, including the critical third-down completion late in the game when defensive lineman Justin Jones was asked to drop into coverage. I wouldn’t be too surprised if Eberflus is back next year, but this is a results-based business, and so far, the results for Eberflus have been overwhelmingly negative. If I had my pick of coaches, I’d like to hire Shane Waldron, the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks.

Bold prediction

Some might call this bold, while others will think it’s a safe bet, which illustrates the sharp divide between the two camps of Bears fans right now, but I think Justin Fields will be traded well before the 2024 NFL Draft. I believe Ryan Poles has already made up his mind regarding the quarterback position and that there’s nothing Fields can do in the next three games to change that, in fact, I’d go so far as to say that he made up his mind a few weeks ago once it became clear that the Carolina Panthers would deliver Chicago a Top 3 pick.

Samir (@smpatel06)

Who will be the Bears QB in 2024?

I like Justin Fields. I get excited to watch him play. Undoubtedly, he is a dynamic playmaker, and every snap is an opportunity to watch him do something that only a handful of people on this planet can do. That is why it is so hard for me to say that he has three games remaining as a Chicago Bear. Because for all those jaw-dropping moments, there are always accompanying bad moments. Moments where he hangs onto the ball too long, a sailed throw over the middle, or an ill-timed fumble. Now, not all of these are his fault. This current coaching staff and the regime prior never put him in a position to succeed. If the Bears only had their pick, we would see a different coaching staff that would be brought in to see what they could get out of Fields. However, the Carolina pick changes everything. The Bears can add a franchise-altering player at the most important position in the game AND pair that player with another blue chip player with their own pick. This is too hard to pass up for Ryan Poles, and he selects Caleb Williams first overall.

Who will be the Bears coach in 2024?

I don’t think there is any way that Poles lets this coaching staff get near another quarterback. I genuinely believe that Poles is a Fields fan, and if it were not for the Carolina pick, he would be content with bringing in a new staff. With the selection of Caleb Williams, he knows that he needs to make sure that this QB of the future is set up for success from day one. I believe he will bring in Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders. Poles has familiarity with Bieniemy from his days in Kansas City, where he coached Patrick Mahomes to MVP levels and helped win a Super Bowl. I think Bieniemy is long overdue for a coaching gig, and what better place to come than Chicago, which now has a prospect that some have hailed as ‘Mahomes light.’ He will get to try to mold Williams with the same successes he had with Mahomes, which Poles witnessed firsthand. It would just make too much sense.

Bold prediction

My bold prediction is that the Bears will net an additional first-round pick in this NFL draft by trading Justin Fields to a quarterback-desperate team that is too far out to draft one. If Sam Darnold yielded a 2nd, 4th, and 6th, Justin Fields could certainly play himself beyond that asking price. He will likely finish the season quite strong (AZ, ATL, GB). One of the teams that pick in the mid-to-late teens will feel like they could use a veteran quarterback to add to their fringe playoff team (I’m looking at you, Pittsburgh), offering up their first-round pick to get Fields and a conditional third. Something like that. This would be an excellent situation for the Bears, as they could get three day-one starters in the first 20 picks.

Lorin (@CoxSports1)

Who will be the Bears QB in 2024?

Ryan Poles said last offseason that he would have to be “blown away” by a quarterback to draft one to replace Justin Fields. He should be blown away by this year’s class. Fields has shown improvement this season but not enough to keep Poles from resetting the quarterback contract timeline and letting his new head coach hand-select his new face of the franchise. Who that is will depend on who they hire as coach, but my bold prediction is that it won’t be Caleb Williams.

Who will be the Bears coach in 2024?

Ben Johnson. The Bears will pursue some of the veteran head coaching options that could be available, like Mike Tomlin, Bill Belichick, or maybe even Jim Harbaugh, but they’ll happily land on Johnson as the coach to mold their next quarterback. He’s gotten Sean McVay-level production out of Jared Goff and has enough experience coaching different offenses under multiple head coaches. It’s a weird world where you’re excited to poach a coach from the Detroit Lions.

Bold prediction

Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy both coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2024. When the Bears move on from offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, he should find a spot back on Matt LaFluer’s coaching staff in Green Bay. That team also happens to need a new defensive coordinator, and the late-season turnaround by the Bears defense should help Eberflus find work quickly. Getsy will put in a good word for him, and the HITS principle will be headed north. It will be an NFC North coaching carousel this offseason.