Chicago Bears Depth Chart
- NFC North
- Stadium
- Soldier Field
- Head Coach
- Offensive Coordinator
- Bill Lazor
- Defensive Coordinator
- Sean Desai
- Special Teams Coach
- Chris Tabor
- Defensive Scheme
- 3-4
The Chicago Bears fired head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace on Monday after the team finished 6-11 this year. Nagy was named the NFL Coach of the Year after his first season in Chicago in 2018, when he led the team to a 12-4 record and to the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, never ended up panning out for Nagy and left in free agency last spring. Chicago went 2-8 in rookie QB Justin Fields' 10 starts this year, and he finished ranked last in the league in total QB rating (26.0). The Bears went 34-31 in the regular season under Nagy in four years and 0-2 in the playoffs. The 43-year-old came to Chicago after eight years working for head coach Andy Reid with the Chiefs and Eagles. Pace spent seven seasons in Chicago and wasn't able to win a playoff game in two tries.
The Chicago Bears are likely to move on from head coach Matt Nagy after the Week 18 regular season finale on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, according to sources. In four seasons as the head coach in Chicago, Nagy led the Bears to just one winning season. The Bears front office will be looking to bring in a new head coach that can really take the development of first-round rookie quarterback Justin Fields to the next level in 2022 and beyond. Nagy's offense failed to finish above the bottom seven in the NFL in each of the last three seasons. And in each of the last two seasons, Nagy removed himself from play-calling duties in the middle of the season. The Bears definitely need better pass-catching options for Fields heading into the future, but Nagy could just never get this offense out of neutral in his final three seasons.
Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery stands to once again be the focal point of the team's offense during Sunday's season finale against the Vikings. Montgomery delivered his second two-rushing touchdown performance of the year last week, accumulating 20 or more carries for the fifth time in the 2021 campaign. The absence of Justin Fields (Reserve/COVID-19) will likely funnel the Bears' gameplan to the ground, which opens the door for Montgomery to hold sizable DFS upside in addition to his secure season-long rostership. The Vikings' defense has struggled to slow the run game this year, yielding 133.3 yards per contest, the sixth-highest mark in the league. After combining for 83 yards on 21 touches in the first matchup between the two teams during Week 15, Montgomery eyes a flurry to conclude his solid season of production.
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet has emerged as one of the team's premier pass-catching weapons over the second half of the year. The second-year tight end enters Sunday's regular-season finale vs. Minnesota in pursuit of his first touchdown of the season, having amassed 56 catches for 564 yards. The Vikings' defense struggled to keep Kmet under wraps the last time they met in Week 15 with the 22-year-old making six grabs (on nine targets) for 71 yards, his second-highest total of the year. While Chicago will have Andy Dalton (and potentially Nick Foles) under center, Kmet retains significant DFS appeal, even as he has been unable to find the end zone. Another strong performance could bump him into consideration for being a starting tight end option come 2022 in medium-sized or larger season-long formats.
Even if Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields (ankle) clears the league's COVID-19 protocols by Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, he's unlikely to play in Week 18 after missing practice Thursday and Friday. Head coach Matt Nagy announced on Friday that Andy Dalton will start under center, with Nick Foles backing him up. Fields' rookie season will likely end with him having played 12 games (10 starts) and completing 58.9% of his passes for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 73.2 passer rating. He also rushed 72 times for 420 yards and two touchdowns. Fields was sacked 36 times and lost four of 12 fumbles. The first-rounder had his moments, but overall it was a struggle in a lackluster offense that lacked creativity. Fields has plenty of long-term upside, but there's plenty of development left, and he'll be a QB2 with upside heading into fall fantasy drafts.