The 2023 NFL preseason is officially over for the Chicago Bears following a 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. They went 1-2 this preseason, a stark change from last year's undefeated August.
With a Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers up next, let's look over the past three weeks with an objective eye to see what we've learned.
Before diving deep into the takeaways, let's get one thing out of the way: the Bears' 2023 preseason record doesn't mean anything.
Read that again, and never forget it.
Coaches aren't game-planning or watching tape of their opponents, and they aren't playing chess with the other team's coaches as the game progresses.
Starters play very few snaps and usually run very basic, scripted plays meant to test certain players or concepts.
I've already seen some panic about the Bears' fortunes on social media, and it's wildly overblown. The Bears looked like a well-oiled machine during last year's preseason. They went 3-0 in 2022, and look where it got them; they ended the regular season with the worst record in the NFL.
The Detroit Lions famously went 4-0 in the 2008 preseason before losing every regular season game that year. The LA Rams went 0-3 the year they won the Super Bowl.
None of it matters.
Now, let's get to the Chicago Bears' preseason takeaways.
Tyson Bagent is legit
The Division II quarterback who went undrafted has quickly become a fan favorite in Chicago. Though Bagent's stat sheet from Saturday was not as impressive as previous contests, he still showed the kind of poise and competence you would never expect to see in an undrafted rookie.
Bagent is a legitimate developmental project for the Bears' coaching staff, and at this point, it would be sheer malpractice to cut him and allow another team to acquire his services.
I've been saying for months that the Bears need to be in the business of developing quarterbacks, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better project than Tyson Bagent. Put him on the roster, develop him, and see if he can be a legitimate QB2 option next year.
Depth Remains a Problem
The injury bug bit Chicago hard over the past month, and it's clear that some position groups are in serious trouble if starters go down in the regular season. Safety and the defensive line are two of them, but the lack of depth is starkest at the offensive line.
Five of Chicago's top six offensive linemen did not suit up against Buffalo, and the Bills starters absolutely manhandled the backups.
Both Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus have expressed confidence that nearly every starter will be ready to go in Week 1, injured or not. However, the notorious veil of silence over Halas Hall regarding injuries only serves to let speculation run rampant.
The first injury report, the point at which the Bears can no longer be deliberately evasive on players' injury status, is due September 6. We'll see whether we should be genuinely concerned for the offensive line and Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears have playmakers
Last year, despite high hopes from many, the Bears' receiving options for Justin Fields were woefully inadequate. In 2023, we are now looking at one of the better receiving rooms in the league.
DJ Moore has already proven to be a yards-after-catch monster, and defenses have no choice but to game-plan for him. That, in turn, should open up more opportunities for Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, who should return to earlier versions of themselves when there was less pressure on them.
While we hope the offensive line takes significant steps forward, at least this year, Fields won't have to contend with bad protection and poor receiving options. As we've seen in Cincinnati, talented quarterbacks can still thrive behind a shaky offensive line as long as their receivers are getting open.
Cairo Santos is back (for now)
Santos shattered franchise records for Bears kickers in 2021, making 40 consecutive field goals, and his streak only ended when then-head coach Matt Nagy inexplicably asked him to attempt a 65-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 2022, however, Santos shanked multiple extra-point attempts and was no longer considered automatic when he stepped on the field.
So far, in 2023, Santos has put those concerns to bed. He's been perfect in the preseason, even on 50-plus-yard field goals.
Hopefully, last year was simply a weird slump for him, and he will continue to be a steady performer. The Bears have had enough kicking woes in the last five years to last a lifetime.
Returning punts is still a struggle
Velus Jones Jr. has continued to be a liability fielding punts, and if it were up to me, he wouldn't make the roster.
Dante Pettis, who can at least catch a punt without fumbling it, is on injured reserve. The Bears have tried out multiple players in practice for returning punts, even DJ Moore, but if we ever see Moore fielding a punt in a real game, there will be riots at Halas Hall.
I don't know who the Bears will turn to for punt-returning duties, but there seem to be no good options, and that's a problem. Not being able to advance a punt makes life hard for the offense, and muffing punts can be absolute backbreakers.
Perhaps it will be the fastest way for rookie Tyler Scott to see the field. He was impressive on special teams against the Bills and salvaged what was an otherwise disappointing preseason for him.