Page 2 - Bears Player News Today

The upshot of the acquisition of pass rusher Montez Sweat is that Poles eventually will have to overpay someone — Sweat or cornerback Jaylon Johnson, most likely — to fuel the Bears’ rebuild. It’s the cost of getting better in the NFL.

Bagent neatly executed a conservative game plan vs. the Raiders. It got the job done, but it was a bit underwhelming. The intrigue of Tyson Bagent is that he could be the Bears’ version of Brock Purdy, not their next Chase Daniel. Does he have another gear? “Oh, yeah. No question,” Matt Eberflus said.

The undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University is the longest of long shots. But after 19 losses in his first 23 games as the Bears’ head coach, Eberflus seems to be quickly reaching a point where he’s not going to let inconsistent quarterback play take him down.

After looking expendable in the Bears’ first three games and like a franchise quarterback in the last two, Fields needs to prove he’s closer to Josh Allen than Mitch Trubisky — but definitely not something in between that leaves Ryan Poles with a big decision to make.

Poles trusted his instincts when he hired Matt Eberflus less than 48 hours after being hired as GM. “The moment he walked into the room, I knew he was the guy,” he said. But with the decision looking shaky, Poles’ own standing is coming under more intense scrutiny.

While Texans fans can dare to dream with Stroud showing early flashes — 280 passing yards and a 118.7 rating in an upset of the Jaguars — Bears fans are left with an age-old lament: Why is developing a quarterback at Halas Hall always like pulling teeth?

Fields’ dynamic running ability gives him a higher ceiling than Mitch Trubisky, so it’s too early to give up on him. But it’s going to take the Bears time to build an offense that Fields can max out in — time that neither Fields nor Luke Getsy might have.

This wasn’t just a loss. It was a letdown. It was only Week 1. But Matt Eberflus’ job just got a little tougher. He not only has to coach ‘em up. He has to take the heat in a football town that is just about out of patience after years of disappointment.

Not only do the Bears need more wins in their second season under GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, they need good wins — beating division rivals, beating playoff teams and winning the close ones top the list.

The NFL preseason has devolved so much in recent years that even playing starters in preseason games isn’t worth that much. Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense will have to grow up quickly once the bell rings against the Packers on Sept. 10 at Soldier Field.