2024 Mock Offseason for the Chicago Bears

As the NFL playoffs roll on without the Chicago Bears, and with most fans now up to their elbows in mock drafts, it seems like a good time for a mock Bears offseason.

I want to take an all-encompassing look at what the Bears could (and perhaps should) do to leap back into the postseason in 2024.

Let’s start with the first decisions that head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles have to make: who will be the new offensive and defensive coordinators?

Coaching: Hire Shane Waldron to be OC, promote Phil Snow to DC

When hiring Luke Getsy to be their offensive coordinator in 2022, the Bears took a risk on an inexperienced play-caller, that backfired badly. This time, I’d prefer if the Bears err on the side of caution and hire an OC who’s called plays before. A lot. That’s Waldron, the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks for the last three years. He has a ton of experience and is partially responsible for the made-for-Hollywood career resurgence of quarterback Geno Smith. He also comes from the Sean McVay tree of coaching.

Apparently, Seahawks fans don’t think too highly of Waldron, but you don’t find many offensive coordinators who are popular within their fanbase after a disappointing season like Seattle’s. Offensive coordinators are easy targets.

I wouldn’t put any stock in the opinions of fans. If Waldron is willing to come to Chicago, that should be a no-brainer.

As for the defensive coordinator, this position doesn’t seem as important as the offensive side, at least not to the fans, primarily because we all know Eberflus is calling the plays anyway. There haven’t been any interviews for this role announced by the team. This leads me to believe they’re considering an in-house promotion, and I can’t think of a better candidate than Phil Snow.

Snow joined the Bears in October and was a key part of the defense’s turnaround this season. His last stop was in Carolina, where he led an impressive defensive unit from 2020 through 2022, only getting the boot when the regime in Carolina cleaned house following the firing of head coach Matt Rhule.

At 68 years old, he certainly would not be a long-term hire, but promoting Snow to defensive coordinator would be good for the defense’s continuity and would take some pressure off of head coach Matt Eberflus.

Free Agency: Fill roster holes to develop draft strategy

The NFL’s free agency period kicks off in March, which makes it a potentially even more important event than the 2024 NFL Draft. By addressing roster needs in free agency with proven talent, a team can give themselves more flexibility in the draft, and with just over $50 million in cap space with room for more, according to Spotrac, the Bears have plenty to spend.

So, in this mock offseason, I have the Chicago Bears attacking some of the biggest holes still on the roster, but they start with the most obvious move: extending Jaylon Johnson.

He enjoyed a career year in 2023, earning Pro Bowl and 2nd Team All-Pro honors, and he deserves to be one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Give him $100 million over a 5-year deal, and you’ve solidified a top-rate secondary for the foreseeable future.

After extending Johnson, the next move should be a contract extension for Teven Jenkins. His injury history is concerning, but he’s a dominant guard when healthy. Considering all the position changes he’s been forced into and how well he’s played, he’s earned a new contract, even if it’s loaded with incentives.

Once the in-house contract extensions are finished, GM Ryan Poles can shop for playmakers to assist whoever’s playing quarterback in 2024. I’d advocate for signing wide receiver Tee Higgins to a 4-year, $80 million deal to bolster the receiving group. At just 25 years old and already one of the top receivers in the league, this would be a home run.

Next, the Bears should target a long-term answer at center. How about Connor Williams?

He’ll be 27 years old and is coming off an ACL injury early in December, but there’s still plenty of time to rehab before the 2024 season. He was projected to get a 5-year deal in the neighborhood of $70 million before his season-ending injury, and that probably won’t change much.

The last big name the Chicago Bears should pursue in free agency would be defensive end Chase Young. A former teammate of Montez Sweat, putting the two of them back together just makes too much sense, and then the Bears could finally have one of the most ferocious defensive lines in the NFL.

Unfortunately, adding players to the roster is only part of the plan. Some Bears won’t be back in 2024, either because they won’t re-sign in Chicago or they’re outright released. For the Bears, obvious cut candidates are aging veterans Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair. Releasing the two aging veterans would free up over $20 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.

Quarterback

There are a million different ways the NFL draft can go for the Bears. So, instead of addressing Chicago’s draft options in this mock offseason, I’ll focus on the most important issue: what to do at quarterback.

If you want to read a full seven-round mock draft, check out Bears Talk’s latest 7-round mock here.

The quarterback question is the easiest decision from a football standpoint that GM Ryan Poles will have all year, even if it’s created a divide among Bears fans. Chicago should trade Justin Fields to the highest bidder and draft Caleb Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It’s an emotional decision, Justin Fields is a beloved player in the locker room and the city, but it’s the right move for the team. Let’s face it: Fields didn’t show much growth in 2023, and the Bears have a rare opportunity to reset the quarterback clock with a player who’s arguably more talented than Fields.

Draft Caleb Williams, and don’t look back.

I thought Justin Fields would be the player who broke the quarterback curse in Chicago. It didn’t happen. And that’s ok. Maybe he can still be a star somewhere else, and in a perfect world, that’s what he ends up being, while Caleb Williams also finds long-term success in Chicago.

A true win-win in a Chicago Bears offseason that should be a lot of fun.

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