Khalil Mack adds the Bears to a crowded NFC playoff race

There are few teams for which the prospect of acquiring arguably the best defensive player in football is anything but a no-brainer, even for the hefty sum of picks the Bears parted with to acquire Khalil Mack.

That’s evident in the amount of teams that were in talks with the Raiders about a trade over the last week, among them reportedly the Packers and 49ers, fellow NFC teams with eyes on the postseason in 2018. If anything, stopping Green Bay from acquiring Mack is success enough for the Bears. Imagine how powerful the Packers would be with one of the league’s best on each side of the ball on every snap. Now when the Packers and Bears meet in a few days, it’ll be Chicago boasting that pass-rushing prowess, buttressing a young linebacking corps that already features Roquan Smith and Leonard Floyd.

So where does that place the Bears in what is bound to once again be a tightly contested NFC playoff race? Obviously there are no sure answers at this point, as some of that depends on luck. The acquisition of Mack does give Chicago leeway as it enters a new season decidedly looking to improve the offense with the further development of quarterback Mitch Trubisky. General manager Ryan Pace received a two-year contract extension that coincided with the January firing of head coach John Fox, who has long been viewed as a solid defensive coach who can be overly conservative on offense, at least when Peyton Manning isn’t running it.

That the Bears had a respectable defense in 2017 was one of the reasons they were able to win a game over the Panthers while attempting only seven passes on offense, a statistical oddity that has been something of an occasional hallmark under Fox. But teams don’t draft quarterbacks in the top 10 to inculcate them to the ways of game management. That might have been fine for Trubisky’s rookie season. It was clear he would need more to take the next step.

So Pace went out and hired Matt Nagy, a respected offensive mind who took over play-calling duties from Andy Reid when the Chiefs began to falter after a hot start last season. It’s apparent from moves this offseason, even before the Mack deal, that Chicago is prepared to shove its chips into the pile. The Bears handed out splashy contracts to receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel as well as tight end Trey Burton to bolster a lackluster passing attack that was topped out by Kendall Wright, who finished with 614 receiving yards in 2017. The Bears watched Alshon Jeffery win a Super Bowl, as they were woefully unable to replace him.

Unfortunately, even with all the moves and all the luck in the world, the Bears are staring down what looks to be a difficult schedule. Part of that is being in the NFC North, where there isn’t a cupcake to be found and all the teams are at least borderline playoff aspirants. 

Minnesota is a conference favorite. Even without landing Mack, the Packers are liable to make a deep run in any given year. Outside the division, the Bears have games against the Patriots, Rams and 49ers. When 10-6 is likely to be the minimum to earn a wild-card berth in the NFC, the math isn’t looking auspicious for the Bears to make the cut.

However, landing Mack at least gives them a puncher’s chance for 2018 and greatly improves the outlook for years down the line, assuming Trubisky pans out. For better or worse, that’s a big assumption at this point. If he’s the franchise quarterback the Bears hope he is, Chicago will be a contender for a big chunk of the next decade. If not, the Bears are rebuilding again in a few years, and they won’t have first-round picks in the next two drafts to aid in that mission. Pace will be gone, but if Trubisky doesn’t work, that’ll be the next GM’s problem.