Chicago Bears: 5 players who may lose their job in 2021
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bears’ outlook for the 2021 season changed drastically a month ago when they moved up for Justin Fields. No longer were they going to finish as a bottom-feeder looking towards the 2022 draft with hopes to finally land their franchise quarterback.
No, that tune changed in a hurry. They found that franchise quarterback.
Now, things are different. Head coach Matt Nagy’s mentality has to be all about winning right now with the roster in place. The talent general manager Ryan Pace added this offseason speaks volumes about the fact that they are more ready to win right now than they were just a couple of months ago.
The immediate future will tell us a lot about this team. With training camp coming up, there are several players to monitor. The Bears want to breed competition this summer — more than ever before at some positions. A few players, in particular, could end up losing their jobs. It could begin with one of the more talked about names in the Bears’ locker room this offseason.
Chicago Bears who may lose their job in 2021: Anthony Miller
The situation with Anthony Miller is an interesting one. For a couple of years now, Miller’s attitude has been an issue. Mental mistakes have plagued him as well. This offseason, the Bears were reportedly looking to trade him but never ended up finding a deal they liked.
Recently, receivers coach Mike Furrey made a pretty bold statement alluding to Miller as a guy they don’t necessarily “need,” because of all the competition they’ll have at the position. Furrey made more of a general statement, but everyone kind of knew he was mostly referring to Miller.
Right now, Miller is the Bears’ starting slot receiver. But, with the way the offseason has gone, he may not hold that position for long. Chicago drafted Dazz Newsome out of North Carolina in the sixth round, and he’s one of the biggest threats to Miller’s slot job.
The Bears also signed both Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd, who could compete for that job as well. The point is, Furrey was spot on when he said they didn’t necessarily need Miller. They have a lot of talented guys in the receiving core now, and Miller’s job could be up for grabs this summer.