See where the Bears land in ESPN’s NFL future power rankings

The success of an NFL team extends beyond the current season, which got some people at ESPN thinking about which NFL franchises are in a prime situation for the next three seasons.

Jeremy Fowler, Louis Riddick, Seth Walter and Field Yates each rated a team’s quarterback situation, remaining roster, drafting ability, front office and coaching using a scale similar to the grading scale used in schools.

• 100: A+ (Elite)
• 90: A (Great)
• 80: B (Very good)
• 70: C (Average)
• 60: D (Very bad)
• 50 and below: F (Disastrous)

ESPN gave the Bears a 69.1, which by their definition is “very bad,” ranking 29th in the NFL. Here’s how the grading broke down:

It’s interesting to note that the Bears are ranked dead last among the other NFL front offices. And while there’s not a lot of confidence in Chicago heading into the 2021 season, it’s hard to imagine they’d be this bad over the next three years.

Especially considering things have changed with the outlook at the quarterback position with the addition of Justin Fields, who will certainly be the most important factor in the success of this franchise in the future.

The Bears have a clear and direct path to flying up these rankings in Justin Fields. If the former Ohio State quarterback meets the promise so many see in him, Chicago’s fortunes turn immediately, and GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy likely continue to be the architects of this team going forward. If Fields does not pan out, this franchise could be headed for change next offseason — and the future is a little less bright with a roster that includes limited cap flexibility, draft capital and some aging veterans.

While they acknowledged the success of Fields would sky rocket them up the rankings, their concerns with the salary cap situation, draft capital and some aging veterans certainly factor into this rating. But they certainly think there are some things that could change for the better.

A once-great but now-aging Chicago defense can retool on the fly while maintaining star power. Akiem Hicks will have trade value, Robert Quinn has an out in his contract in 2022 and Khalil Mack has a modest (for his standards) $12 million salary with a $5.5 million roster bonus next year. In fact, Chicago could move on from the contracts of Mack and safety Eddie Jackson after next season if it wants. The Bears can phase out certain players while building around promising young stars Roquan Smith and Jaylon Johnson.

While there are plenty of concerns surrounding the future of the Bears, including everything ESPN mentioned, there’s also the potential for plenty of success should Fields turn out to be the superstar quarterback the franchise believes he can be.