The Monday after the Super Bowl is traditionally chaotic. One team (in this case, the Chiefs) is celebrating the sport's greatest team accomplishment, while 31 others are looking ahead to an offseason centered around reaching that same goal.
Free agency speculation and mock drafts are the norms, while way-too-early NFL power rankings provide a good starting point for the challenges that lie ahead for each team. And if you buy into ESPN's post-Super Bowl power rankings, the Bears have a lot of work to do.
Chicago checked in at No. 18:
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Chicago's defense didn't have the same success it achieved under Vic Fangio in 2018, but the Bears still finished this past season ranked fourth in points allowed, eighth in total yards per game and ninth in passing and rushing yards allowed per game. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack, defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and cornerback Kyle Fuller are all Pro Bowl-caliber players in the prime of their careers. Chicago's offense is very concerning, but the team appears to be in good shape on defense.
The 49ers proved that a great defense can lead a team to the Super Bowl, but without high-end quarterback play, the odds of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy dip quite a bit. There's no doubt the Bears will have one of the NFC's top defenses again in 2020, but unless they add a quarterback who's capable of going toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes (ouch, that hurts), the post-1985 drought seems destined to continue.
Fortunately, GM Ryan Pace will have more than his fair share of veteran options on the open market, several of whom have the pedigree and production that suggests they can lead the Bears on a deep playoff run. Whether it's Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater or even wild cards like Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton, Chicago has a chance to get better at the game's most important position.
Beginning the offseason ranked 18th isn't great, but it could certainly be worse. And if Pace doesn't add a quarterback to the depth chart by the time shopping season ends, it likely will be.
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