Chicago Bears Record Prediction for 2023 – Pro Football Mania

The Chicago Bears are looking to bounce back after a tough 2022 campaign where they finished with a 3-14 record. Despite the poor record, there were some bright spots on the Bears that they can build on in 2023. Now that Aaron Rodgers is out of the division is this the year the Bears compete for the NFC North? Let’s break that down further and offer a record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.

The Good

All aboard the Justin Fields hype train. It’s hard to ignore the hype around the future of Fields after last season. Fields carried the Bears offense for much of the year as he developed as an NFL quarterback. Fields wowed on several occasions with his legs, making highlight reel plays. 2023 is a big year for Fields and the Bears have shown they are all in on the former Buckeye when they decided to trade the #1 pick. They now have a true #1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore to finally give a boost to the Chicago passing game. There is a lot to like about Justin Fields’ game and if he can continue to develop as a passer the sky’s the limit.

The Bad

The Chicago Bears led the league in rushing yards last season thanks in large part to Fields. Still, you can’t discount David Montgomery and his 801 yards that helped balance the Bears offense. Montgomery is no longer with the Bears as he signed a 3-year deal with the rival Detroit Lions this past offseason. The Bears will now rely on Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman, who they recently brought in.

Herbert and Foreman are both solid running backs but neither of them has shown they can be the full-time starter. While it may not seem like a big deal due to Fields rushing ability it may come back to hurt them in the long run. Defenses will now start to take away Fields rushing ability and make him throw more from the pocket. This will make the play-action game that much more important and in order for it to work defenses will need to respect it. If I were the Bears I would be looking at bringing in one of the FA vets like Ezekiel Elliott before the season starts.

The Prediction

There is no doubt the Chicago Bears will improve upon last year’s 3-14 record. The problem is the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are also trending up and will keep the Bears from competing in the division. I predict Chicago will finish with 8 wins and will come close to a Wild Card berth. To me, the 2024-2025 season is the year the Bears will make the playoffs and make some noise.

2023 Record: 8-9 (3rd in the NFC North)