During the Bears' bye week in Week 14, the Denver Broncos lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, boosting them up to the second pick in the draft over the Bears.
With that, the Bears now have the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. How did this happen?
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The Broncos tied the Bears for overall record over the weekend, both sporting a 3-10 record through 14 weeks. Since they have the same record, the tiebreaker goes to the lower strength of schedule (SOS).
As of this writing, the Bears have the highest strength of schedule of every team drafting in the top-18 picks. Hence, they lose the tiebreaker to every team who has a lower SOS.
For the Bears to retain the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, they need – not only to lose out – but for the Broncos to pick up a win over the final four weeks.
The Rams, who had joined the Bears and Broncos as three-win teams, picked up a win on Thursday night over the Raiders on the back of a thrilling game-winning drive from Baker Mayfield. They moved down to the No. 4 pick and placed a one-win gap on the Bears/Broncos.
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Over the last four weeks, the Broncos play the Cardinals, Rams, Chiefs and Chargers. The Cardinals and Rams both have four wins on the season, so it's possible they snag a win from either game.
The Bears, on the other hand, have a demanding schedule down the stretch. They return from their bye week against the Eagles before taking on the Bills, Lions and Vikings to finish off their season.
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All eyes will be on the Bears and Broncos for the race for the No. 2 pick.
Where will the Bears end up? Soon enough, they will solidify their position in the draft.