Can the Chicago Bears Be a Viable Futures Bet in 2021?

The Chicago Bears started off 2020 with a hot 5-1 burst out of the gate and by season’s end, they barely won a playoff spot. 


So, what happened? And why did the Bears fall short of winning the NFC North, even encroaching an over/under?

If you bet on the Bears to win the NFC North, overcome their over/under, or even as a dark horse selection to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, perhaps you made your bet one year too early. 

Today’s post will cover what the Bears must do to overcome the likes of divisional rivals like the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings to once again become a viable futures bet in 2021. 

If the Bears are on your shortlist for NFL futures bets in one or all categories, read today’s post and discover what this team must do to become a hot bet. 

Stick With Mitchell Trubisky

For some strange reason, the Bears had Trubisky on the chopping block, and they made it official when they declined the quarterback’s fifth-year option. 

But did Trubisky do anything wrong this season to show that he’s not the guy?

He went 6-2 as a starter, as opposed to Nick Foles’ 2-6 record in the same position. His numbers didn’t dazzle, but the win-loss record should tell you a thing or two along with the 16 to 7 touchdown to interception ratio, 65.1 completion percentage, and 95.3 passer rating. 

Since his second season in 2018, Trubisky has a career record of 25-12 (29-20 overall) and has now led the Bears to two playoff appearances. 

Continuity is key in the NFL, and the Chicago Bears can’t afford to let Trubisky slip from their grasp. And get this, since he became the full-time starter in 2018, Trubisky has never had a losing record, having gone 8-7 in 2019 and 11-3 in 2018. 

And now, the team may let him go?

If they let Trubisky go, I’m not telling you what to do, but exercise caution if you bet on an NFL team like the Bears. Because I’ll tell you right now, Nick Foles is the likely starter heading into camp to keep the seat warm for someone who isn’t even on the 2021 roster. 

Develop the Old-School Game Plan

The Bears are just one of those teams that have always thrived in the old school game plan. And best yet, they have the quarterback (Trubisky) who is the perfect quarterback for such a game plan.

What does the old school game plan look like?

It starts with pounding the rock with the running game before opening things up in the passing game. And in case you haven’t noticed, the Bears own a solid group of receivers, including Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Darnell Mooney. Not a great group, but solid. 

They also have a good back in David Montgomery who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2020 and a decent change of pace utility in Cordarrelle Patterson. Sure, they can use an upgrade since neither are spectacular backs. But they have all the makings of a solid committee. 

By controlling the ball, it will allow the Bears to limit the chances for the opposing team on offense while conforming better to Trubisky’s style as a game manager as opposed to putting the game in his hands. 

It will also keep the defense fresh. And of course, with the old school game plan, much of it comes from the defensive side of the ball along with a defensive identity, which is the focus of the next section. 

Rediscover Defensive Identity

The Chicago Bears allowed roughly 18.6 points per game in 2019. In 2020, they allowed 370 points, or an average of 23.1 points per game. What’s even worse is that the Bears retained several key defensive playmakers like Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson, Roquan Smith, and Kyle Fuller. 

They also have a solid supporting cast on defense led by 2020 newcomer Robert Quinn. They lost Eddie Goldman because of an opt-out, but other than a single opt-out from a star player, the Bears had everyone. 

So what happened to the hard-nosed defense that kept the team in games in 2019?

What’s even further disheartening about this is the fact the Bears defense collapsed when Trubisky and company put on a halfway-decent show on offense. 

The Bears offense is there, but the defense took a step back. 


For the Bears to become a viable futures bet, they must rediscover their defensive identity that held opponents to fewer than 3 touchdowns per game in 2019, reminiscent of those old Monsters of the Midway. 

If you feel that with the hopeful return of Goldman in 2021 and if the Bears can keep their defensive core and return to the dangerous unit they were in 2019, they’re a viable futures bet who may unseat the Packers. 

But as mentioned earlier in the post, they need a viable quarterback like Trubisky at the helm. Plus, it’d be great if they added pizazz to their backs and receiving units, which is what the next section will cover. 

Find Offensive Playmakers

Mitchell Trubisky is so much better than what the NFL universe gives him credit for, and he proved it in 2020. The Bears also have solid players in Mooney, Patterson, Montgomery, and Miller. They have an outstanding playmaker in Allen Robinson. 

But beyond Robinson, is there anyone other than gadget players that defenses must game plan for?

There’s nothing but a barren wasteland in the playmaking department unless you count Robinson. Miller and Mooney hold their own, but defenses won’t go out of their way to game plan against them. The same goes for Trubisky, Montgomery, and Patterson. 

Each is good enough to start or play a key role in the NFL. But if the Bears are to take that next step and become a solid bet for 2021 to win the North and the over/under, they need a lot of help. 

Oh, and we haven’t even discussed the mediocre tight end position, which Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet were supposed to fix this season. It’s time to move on and find someone, even one player, who can take over games and force defenses to not key on Robinson. 

Either via the draft or free agency, the Bears must scour their options and find a gamebreaker either at running back, receiver, or tight end. And given the improvement they saw on offense in 2020, they may be just a single playmaker away from opening things up for themselves. 

Party Like It’s 2018

In 2018, head coach Matt Nagy made airwaves with his creative play calling that led the Bears to their first NFC North Championship since 2010. Since then, Nagy’s play calling has stagnated, showing virtually no life in 2019 and becoming so-so in 2020.

Hey, at least when Trubisky came back in to save the situation, he put new life into the Bears offense. Nagy’s play-calling in 2018 was such that teams had a tough time stopping a high-caliber offense that hasn’t been the same since. 

Let’s face it.

From a talent perspective, the Bears should find themselves up there with their chief rival, the Green Bay Packers. Instead, they had to fight for a playoff spot with an 8-8 record and the team proved earlier in the season they’re better than 500. 

If they add another playmaker and spice the play calling back to 2018, watch out for this football team. And while many of you may still make the logical bet on the Green Bay Packers, a return to the play-calling of old will at least allow the Bears to challenge Green Bay for the NFC North Crown. 

Beat Division Rivals

The Bears, despite their limited success in 2020, went 2-4 against their division rivals. They split with Detroit and Minnesota while Green Bay swept them in a pair of blowouts. For the Bears to win you over, they must gain the edge against their rivals, especially Green Bay. 

Unfortunately, we can’t gauge a full off-season whether the team will better their rivals. However, we can use their performance this past season to gauge where they stand. 

In games against Detroit and Minnesota, they won by a grand total of 10 points. They also lost by a grand total of 10 points. It’s safe to say a few things about Detroit and Minnesota. 

Detroit is on the rebuilding path and not a single player is safe from getting the boot when the new coaching staff and front office take over. As for Minnesota, they have far more holes on defense than anyone would have thought. 

So, pay attention to the Bears this offseason if they’re on your short list for futures bets in 2021. With Detroit on the rebuilding path, we can’t assume, but we can logically say if the Bears make improvements listed in the sections above, they can complete the sweep. 

As for the Vikings, it comes down to what they do with the defense. Keep everything as is and see if they grow from a down year? Or, do they find help where they need it?

If the Bears make the right moves during the offseason and the other teams appear to be a long way from success through a build or a rebuild, you can at least project they will finish on the right side of 500 in the division. 

Conclusion 

The Bears are a conundrum of a team. They have a good coaching staff and outstanding talent on defense, plus doable players on offense. But they can’t get over the 8-8 hump, where they’ve remained for two seasons. 

The Bears have a talented defense that fell apart and they need to rediscover that hard-hitting identity. They need at least another decent playmaker or two on offense. They also need to get creative again with their play calling and do all they can to keep the hot hand in Trubisky. 

What are your thoughts on the Bears? Are they a good futures bet for 2021 in terms of the over/under, division, and perhaps an NFC Crown? Let us know in the comments.