5 Chicago Bears who need to step up to keep their jobs

The Chicago Bears are in a position to stop worrying as much about winning and start focusing on the future. At 3-8, they’d have to win all nine of their final games to make the playoffs. With Justin Fields questionable and a game-time decision, that doesn’t seem likely. Even if healthy, the team has lost their last four games despite being in a position to win three of those four. In fact, the Chicago Bears have had a chance to win every game but two this season — the Packers in Week 2 and the Cowboys in Week 8.

When we look at this roster, it is made up of many young players. It also lacks talent. There are players who are struggling that are under contract beyond this season. There are also a few others who are here on one-year deals who are hoping to be retained but really haven’t lived up to expectations. Over the final six weeks, these players need to step up or they will be looking for a new team to play for in 2023.

This Chicago Bears Player Must Step Up: Byron Pringle, WR

When Byron Pringle was signed this offseason, I thought he’d make for a solid addition to the wide receiver group. He was coming off a solid season with the Chiefs and had a better opportunity to make an impact here in Chicago. Instead, Pringle missed Weeks 4 through 9 and hasn’t made a positive impact in any game he’s played this season.

His best game was Week 1 when he caught one of two targets for 22 yards. He didn’t see a target in Week 2 despite playing 34% of the snaps. He didn’t have a target in Week 11 either after playing on 14 snaps. In Weeks 3 and 10, he combined for two catches on three targets for 22 yards. This is not a guy who deserves the $4.125 million dollars he received this season. That said, he has six weeks to prove he should be brought back. Unfortunately, I doubt it happens.