5 reasons for optimism as Bears prepare for training camp

Heading into training camp, there are many people already writing the Chicago Bears off in 2022. After missing the playoffs with a 6-11 record last season, there’s a lot that has to change for Chicago to get back to the playoffs.

Despite being in a rebuild, there are reasons to be optimistic for the 2022 season. The future has the potential to be bright, with first-year general manager Ryan Poles at the helm. While there are questions about both sides of the ball, there are reasons to be excited about this upcoming season.

Here are five reasons for optimism as the Bears prepare for training camp:

The new regime

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The Bears fired Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy this offseason, bringing in Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus to replace them. Outside of having the same first names, these two groups of men aren’t the same.

Poles and Eberflus’ goal is to build through the draft and craft a system that fits their players. Pace was notorious for drafting the best available player, and Nagy didn’t craft a system around his players.

The culture in Halas Hall has already changed, with Darnell Mooney recently saying it’s “night and day” looking at the change. Though the roster looks weaker than years prior in the midst of a rebuild, that doesn’t mean this team can’t find success this upcoming season.

There’s an obvious upgrade with the coaching staff on offense and defense. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and defensive coordinator Alan Williams will be used differently than previous coordinators. Eberflus is going to lean more on his coaching staff to make decisions, something Nagy didn’t do. Nagy tried to control everything, making decisions that hurt the team.

The progression of Justin Fields

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After a poor rookie season riddled with a poor offense, a bad offensive line, and a playbook that didn’t fit his skillset, Justin Fields has a chance to right the wrongs of last year.

What helps Fields is he is going into the 2022 season as the starter. Last season, he was preparing as the backup quarterback, getting fewer reps with the starters in training camp and during the preseason. It took him longer to build chemistry with the starters, which delayed his progression.

Another thing that stunted his growth during his rookie season was the inconsistent playcalling. Fields wasn’t used to his strengths, resulting in a 2-8 record as a starter.

Despite the issues last season, it’s a new scheme that will fit Fields under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Getsy will have this offense centered around his quarterback, something Nagy couldn’t grasp during his time in Chicago.

A healthy David Montgomery

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The Bears running game will be a key factor in how well this team does. Despite Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert playing well in the absence of David Montgomery last season, it’s an obvious advantage to have a healthy Montgomery to start the 2022 season.

Montgomery only missed four games last year due to a knee injury, but when he came back, his numbers slipped. In his first four games of the season, he rushed for over 100 yards in two games. Once returning from injury, he significantly declined, having just two games above 70 yards rushing (72 and 90).

Heading into a contract year, Chicago should expect the best version of Montgomery they’ve seen. Considering there’s likely going to be a better approach to the running game than years prior, he’ll have more than enough chances to have a breakout season.

Unpredictable wide receiving corp

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There’s a lot to love about Darnell Mooney. He has turned into a draft steal from the Ryan Pace era. The chemistry that’s being built with Justin Fields will be a huge factor in both players’ success over the next few seasons.

Despite the wide receivers looking less than average on paper, there’s no telling what these guys can accomplish together. We haven’t seen Velus Jones Jr. play an NFL game yet. He could turn into another draft steal by the Bears.

Byron Pringle’s ceiling is unknown. He played with a stacked Kansas City team, filled with amazing wide receivers. Pringle hasn’t had a real chance to play as a starter. He will get that chance this upcoming season.

New wide receiver N’Keal Harry gets a much-needed fresh start  Harry was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, but never materialized as a top target in New England. Now, he gets a chance to reinvent himself.

Mooney, Pringle, Harry, and Jones might not be the flashiest names, but they have the potential to surprise everyone and help Fields find success in 2022. Fans will get more of an idea of what we’ll see out of this group throughout training camp and during the preseason.

The future is bright

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Whether the Bears are a playoff team this season or not, the future is bright under the leadership of GM Ryan Poles. Poles’ understanding of building through the draft and not overspending in free agency will keep Chicago out of a salary cap crunch under his watch.

Poles expressed the importance of building an offensive line to support Justin Fields. Fields had one of the worst offensive lines in football last season. There’s going to be serious effort put into rebuilding the offensive line over the next couple of seasons. The good news is that some of that talent is already on the team.

The new leadership isn’t selling out to have just one good season. They’re going to be patient and build an offense around Fields, and a defense that buys into Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams’ scheme. If they can master that, the Bears will be back to being a contender, not just a team who made the playoffs three times since 2010.

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