The Bears have long been defined by gritty defensive play. Chicagoans admire ‘The Monsters of the Midway’: from Dick Butkus and Doug Atkins of the NFL’s early days to Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton, and Richard Dent of the ‘85 Bears, to Brian Urlacher in recent memory. On the offensive side of the ball, however, save from Walter Payton, the Bears’ history has been resoundingly unremarkable.
The Bears’ franchise receiving yards leader, Johnny Morris, retired in 1967, and they are the only team that has never had a quarterback throw 4,000 yards in a season. The Bears have built teams under the guide of the famous cliche, “Defense wins championships.” Maybe that was once true. But today, that philosophy has run thin. The Bears have had 3 playoff wins since 2000 and a track record of failure to draft, develop, and build around quarterback prospects and cultivate offensive horsepower. Other defensively-minded franchises have told similar stories: the Steelers and the Patriots, once long-withstanding juggernauts, struggling with futile offenses, suffering with disappointing season after disappointing season.
It’s a changing game. For long, the Bears have been too entranced looking in the rearview mirror to notice that. Now, 2022 GM hire Ryan Poles has been spearheading a shift in that mentality, and the 2024 NFL Draft was the biggest landmark of cultural change since he began. It may be what brings the Super Bowl trophy back to Chicago for the first time in nearly 40 years.
While the first-overall pick had been all but confirmed for USC quarterback Caleb Williams for months, the Bears stood at a crossroads with the ninth overall pick. With any historical consistency, the offseason acquisition of superstar wide receiver Keenan Allen should have confirmed the Bears wouldn’t be selecting a top wide receiver in the draft. The duo of Allen and DJ Moore has the potential to be a top-5 pairing in the league, and complimentary playmakers like tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift solidified the Bears’ offensive arsenal as firmly above-average.
It should’ve been a guarantee the Bears would use their ninth-overall pick to select a pass rusher, especially under the coaching of former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. But as Gooddell’s name read off Washington superstar WR prospect Rome Odunze, I was overcome with an almost surreal excitement. The Bears now enter the 2024 season with the most talented offense in the league around a rookie quarterback who has the potential to be a generational talent and a superstar for years to come. For the first time in as long as I could remember, the Bears weren’t just satisfied with just being good enough on offense. Poles wanted to completely supercharge it.
In his post-draft presser, Poles said, “The history’s the history. I’m done talking about it. We’re bringing players in here who want to change everything and do things a different way. Obviously, we love our history here, but it hasn’t been smooth recently, and it’s time to change.” It feels like a sunny ray of excitement has opened into a city that has been plagued with frustration, disappointment, and depression every fall. Chicagoans, your prayers have been answered.
