Alyssa: 10-7
It’s far too early to begin making serious predictions about the 2024 season — especially as rosters aren’t finalized yet. So I tried my best to keep it realistic and fair with my predictions at this point of the offseason. Essentially, I landed at my middle ground with 10 wins. I believe the floor is nine and the ceiling is 11 wins.
There are some favorable matchups on the schedule, but there are also some difficult stretches in the latter half of the season. That includes not facing an NFC North rival until Week 11 and playing six division games in the final eight contests. The good news: Chicago was at its best at the end of last season, including when the playoffs were still within reach. A strong start to the season will serve them well, especially as Caleb Williams gets acclimated to his rookie season, and should put them in contention for a playoff spot.
Brendan: 10-7
The early part of the season could be tough for the Bears, not because of the opponents, but because rookie quarterbacks tend to struggle out of the gate when they get the nod in Week 1. Star quarterbacks Cam Newton and Joe Burrow both began their careers 0-2. Even CJ Stroud and Andrew Luck started 1-2 in their rookie seasons and still led their teams to the postseason that very same year. I’m expecting a slowish start for Caleb Williams and the Bears, but they will find their groove in the middle of the season and go on a bit of a run.
They have a few games that should be winnable in the middle of the season, and they caught some breaks too when it comes to timing. For example, the Los Angeles Rams went 2-3 when playing in the early time slot on the road last year, while the Detroit Lions are on a seven-game losing streak on Thanksgiving. Those matchups already look promising for Chicago. The divisional gauntlet near the end of the year will be challenging, however, and it will make or break the season. Williams may take some time getting comfortable at the professional level, but this team has the talent to win double-digit games.
Lucas: 9-8
In this way-too-early 2024 season prediction, I have the Bears flirting with the postseason by finishing with a winning 9-8 record. You’ll notice that I’m not going chalk in certain games, like having Chicago get an early season upset over the Rams in Week 4 and dropping a winnable game against the Commanders fresh off the bye week. It’s good to remember that the season shifts in unpredictable ways more often than not, so I’m trying to keep those inevitable swings in mind.
I believe the Bears will get off to a lukewarm start to the year, hovering near .500 until the bye week; they’ll squander their extra time off and lose a frustrating game to Washington, pushing the fanbase into panic mode, as the Bears traditionally do. They’ll pick up steam, go on a three-game win streak that culminates in a much-needed victory over the Packers. Chicago shows its true nature as a streaky team, tallying one more losing and winning streak in the twilight of the season, only to fall short to Green Bay in the final game of the year, likely shutting the door on the team’s one avenue into the playoffs. That future is exciting and frustrating all in one, but most essentially it’s the most “Bears” thing the Bears could do.
Vinnie: 10-7
Going from 3-14 to 7-10 to 10-7 would be a great show of improvement under Ryan Poles and his staff. This is a great schedule for the Bears but they have a lot of work to do in order to improve into a Super Bowl contender. With there still being some roster decisions to make, it is fair to be cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season.
In the NFC North, the Bears are still a bit behind the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers but should be able to beat Minnesota twice. With matchups like Los Angeles and Jacksonville, it is hard to pick the Bears to beat them without seeing how Caleb Williams compares to their quarterbacks. If 10-7 came true, all Chicago Bears fans would be very happy. Three games over .500 would be very good for this young team looking to develop the right way. In the NFC, that should be good enough for the playoffs.
Ryan: 11-6
The Bears have an interesting schedule this year, including their first divisional game being Week 11 against the Packers. They’ll finish the 2024 season with 6 of their last 8 games against the NFC North, which is a dangerous feat if the team is already struggling. I have a feeling Chicago starts the season off strong, with a 3-0 record, including an upset win in Houston. They’ll lose to both the Rams, who’ve they’ve struggled against as of late, and the Jaguars in London, but after that, I have them winning four of their next five games.
By that point, they’ll be 8-3 before there’s a drop off. The Lions and 49ers on the road are two tough games, which I have as two losses. At 8-5, I have them winning three straight, including two divisional games, before dropping a second loss to the Packers. It’s hard for me to pick the Bears to beat the Packers this season due to how dominant they have been over the last 15-to-20 years against Chicago. The hope is that Caleb Williams can change that, but until then, I have to go with my guy instead of my heart. Either way, 11-6 is a great bounce back from 3-14 in 2022 and 7-10 in 2023.
