The Chicago Bears found themselves at the bottom of the NFL barrel in 2022, finishing with the worst record in the league at 3-14. However, the winds could be shifting in the right direction in the Windy City as early as this season. The club made a flurry of moves throughout the offseason, including a trade of the No. 1 overall pick that swung them a collection of picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore. And it's another pass catcher within this Chicago offense who feels fans are in for a more competitive club this coming year.
"I truly believe that this year from last year will be a night-and-day difference," wideout Chase Claypool told talkSPORT about the Bears' upcoming season. "I think fans will be loving it next year. I'm excited, obviously with the additions we had in the offseason, but just being able to stack that knowledge from last season. All those learning and those growth spurts that we had to go through to this season, I think it's gonna be great."
Claypool was one of the early additions for Chicago as the club dealt for him at the trade deadline last season. His arrival for a full season along with Moore coming aboard and Darnell Mooney still lurking on the depth chart will be key in allowing Justin Fields to ascend as a passer. That's also not mentioning tight ends Cole Kmet and free-agent addition Robert Tonyan factoring in as well.
"It's an exciting and dynamic team all together," Claypool said. "Offense is gonna be explosive. Defense is gonna be playmakers. I think we're gonna be a fun team to watch. And I think we're not gonna back down from anyone."
Last season, Fields rushed for 1,143 yards, which was the second-most ever by a quarterback. However, his passing skill set could still be refined, which GM Ryan Poles noted in his end-of-year press conference. If/when he unlocks his arm to a more prolific degree, the Bears will have themselves a bona fide franchise quarterback who can impact games through the air and on the ground, and certainly have them pushing for the playoffs.
At Caesars Sportsbook, the Bears own the third-best odds to win the NFC North at +380 and are -135 to go over their 7.5 win total for the year.
