After a season like this one, it is impossible not to expect changes of some kind. The Chicago Bears can’t be expected to run it back in 2025 and expect different results, even with a new coaching staff. Players deserve some of the blame for this fiasco as well. The difficult part is pinpointing the ones who might be doing more harm than good, both on and off the field. Those players could find their way out the door. The part to watch is figuring out who they are and having the guts to move on.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranked the Bears head coaching vacancy as the third-best in the league behind only Miami and Jacksonville, which technically aren’t open yet. The presence of Caleb Williams is a huge factor in this. However, the situation around him is a different story. Changes are needed, and not just on the offensive line. A shakeup could be coming at wide receiver. That includes potentially trading a name fans would’ve thought was untouchable just a few months ago.
Regardless of who takes over, the new coach will have to reimagine the offense and add players accordingly. Allen, a free agent, is unlikely to return. Moore has looked uninterested all season and has a tradable contract. The only lineman who should be guaranteed a starting spot is right tackle Darnell Wright. The Bears project to have the fifth-most cap space of any team in the offseason, so they can afford to target replacements. They need to get those moves right, though.
They signed the receiver to an extension this past off-season, seeing him as a crucial part of Williams’ future supporting cast. Sadly, his 2024 season has been a disappointment. After going for over 1300 yards last year, he’s at 826 with two games to play. That isn’t the most pressing issue, though. Plenty of people have called the receiver out for his bad body language and questionable effort at times during the year. He even admitted that he was looking forward to a vacation after the season ended. That isn’t the best look for somebody elected a team captain.
If the Chicago Bears were to trade Moore, he leave behind $16 million in dead cap while providing $8.9 million in relief. There would likely be no shortage of teams interested in him, knowing he’s under contract through 2029 and is only 27 years old. What the Bears can get in return is difficult to determine. It would likely be a Day 2 pick unless they can swing a Stefon Diggs-like deal. He was the same age in 2020 when traded to Buffalo, netting the Vikings 1st, 5th, and 6th round picks. If something like that comes around, maybe the Bears consider it.
