Chicago Bears: Future Prospects Are Not Very Bright

It seems like Chicago Bears fans just want to hear everything is wonderful, but I'm here to give them a dose of reality, and they're not going to like what I have to say.

The window for them to make the playoffs is closing fast. Realistically, next year is probably the last chance for them to reach the postseason, but even that is very iffy.

In their division, the Green Bay Packers are clearly better, as are the Detroit Lions. Finishing last several years in a row has its benefits. 

That's something the Bears may be getting used to soon.

If both the Packers and Lions do finish ahead of them, they would have to beat out every other team in the NFC to make the playoffs.

I know Bears fans are going to use the Jay Cutler injury as an excuse for the past season, but the Bears are alarmingly thin in quality players on their roster. What is even more frightening is the age of the players who make a difference on this team.

On defense, Brian Urlacher is 33, Julius Peppers is 32, Lance Briggs 31 and Peanut Tillman is 30. Each one of them has been in the league for at least nine years. Their expiration date is not too far off.

Is there anybody on the roster to replace them once they're gone? How easy do you think it will be? Do you just go to the Pro Bowl store and pick replacements from the shelves like you buy food from the grocery store?  

It's not like the Bears are going to go out and spend tons of money in free agency. They were able to do that with Peppers, but you can't do that when you have to completely rebuild the defense, and I haven't even gotten to the offensive side of the ball yet.

It seems like Chicago Bears fans just want to hear everything is wonderful, but I'm here to give them a dose of reality, and they're not going to like what I have to say.

The window for them to make the playoffs is closing fast. Realistically, next year is probably the last chance for them to reach the postseason, but even that is very iffy.

In their division, the Green Bay Packers are clearly better, as are the Detroit Lions. Finishing last several years in a row has its benefits. 

That's something the Bears may be getting used to soon.

If both the Packers and Lions do finish ahead of them, they would have to beat out every other team in the NFC to make the playoffs.

I know Bears fans are going to use the Jay Cutler injury as an excuse for the past season, but the Bears are alarmingly thin in quality players on their roster. What is even more frightening is the age of the players who make a difference on this team.

On defense, Brian Urlacher is 33, Julius Peppers is 32, Lance Briggs 31 and Peanut Tillman is 30. Each one of them has been in the league for at least nine years. Their expiration date is not too far off.

Is there anybody on the roster to replace them once they're gone? How easy do you think it will be? Do you just go to the Pro Bowl store and pick replacements from the shelves like you buy food from the grocery store?  

You can keep on acting like an ostrich with your head in the sand denying the obvious, but that won't change the reality of the Bears' situation.

I'm sorry I had to break this to you, but it's time you heard the truth.