The Chicago Bears have been the talk of the NFL offseason.
There was no doubt that this offseason was going to be a pivotal moment in the tenure of Ryan Poles as the team's general manager. After tearing down the roster in 2022 and beginning to install core members in 2023, the expectation for Poles and the Bears entering the 2024 season is for the team to be in playoff contention.
The moves that Poles has made this offseason has backed up that expectation.
The re-signing of Jaylon Johnson to a four-year contract while adding offensive playmakers in D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, and Gerald Everett has placed the Bears in the position to be a great landing spot for their next starting quarterback---Caleb Williams, who undoubtedly will be the first selection of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Once Williams is officially selected by the Bears, there is no doubt that the Bears will be a better team after the 2024 NFL Draft than they were at the end of the 2023 season.
Excitement is building for the Bears and national experts are taking notice. Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN's College Gameday and Amazon's Thursday Night Football joined The Pat McAfee show on Monday and expressed his excitement about the Bears.
"You better get on the Chicago Bears right now..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 1, 2024
Get ready because the Bears are coming"@KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VL5ySUNbq3
The Chicago Bears continue to earn national praise for their offseason moves.
The focus that is on the Bears this offseason is unlikely any offseason the team has had in the past. For the first time in franchise history, the Bears will be taking a generational talent at the quarterback position with the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Poles is here to break the stigma that has surrounded the Bears' organization for decades and appears to be on track in doing so. That may not have the Bears in a position to win the NFC North in 2024 but they aren't far off from that goal.