| 2023 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Virginia Halas McCaskey |
| General manager | Ryan Poles |
| Head coach | Matt Eberflus |
| Home stadium | Soldier Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–10 |
| Division place | 4th NFC North |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | CB Jaylon Johnson (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | CB Jaylon Johnson DE Montez Sweat |
| Uniform | |
The 2023 season was the Chicago Bears' 104th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles.
Despite starting the season 0–4, and extending the team losing streak to 14 (longest in team history; dating back to the 2022 season),[1] the Bears improved on their 3–14 record from the previous season after a Week 12 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and improved on their 6–11 record from the 2021 season after a Week 17 win against the Atlanta Falcons, although a Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns ensured their third consecutive losing season and fifth consecutive non-winning campaign. After the Carolina Panthers' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on New Year's Eve, they secured the first overall pick in the NFL draft for the second successive season. However, wins by the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers later that day eliminated the Bears from playoff contention for the third consecutive season. The Bears tied an NFL record for most blown double digit 4th quarter leads, at three.[2]
During the season, Justin Fields became the fourth quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to have 5,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards in their first 30 starts.[3] The Chicago Bears drew an average home attendance of 61,769 in 8 home games in the 2023 NFL season.[4]
Draft
Draft trades
- The Bears traded a first-round selection (1st overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for first- and second-round selections (9th and 61st overall), a 2024 first-round selection, a 2025 second-round selection and WR D. J. Moore.[5]
- The Bears traded a first-round selection (9th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a first-round selection (10th overall) and a 2024 fourth-round selection.[6]
- The Bears traded a second-round selection (32nd overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for WR Chase Claypool.[7]
- The Bears traded LB Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for second- and fifth-round selections (53rd and 158th overall), and LB A. J. Klein.[8]
- The Bears traded second- and fifth-round selections (61st and 136th overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a second-round selection (56th overall).[9]
- The Bears traded a fourth-round selection (103rd overall) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round selections (115th and 165th overall).[10]
- The Bears traded DE Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fourth-round selection (133rd overall).[11]
- The Bears traded a sixth-round selection (178th overall) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for WR Jakeem Grant.[12]
- The Bears traded a sixth-round selection (200th overall) to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for two 2022 seventh-round selections (254th and 255th overall).[13]
- The Bears traded LB Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a sixth-round selection (200th overall) and a 2022 second-round selection (48th overall).[14]
Staff
On February 1, 2023, the Bears announced that Jon Hoke was hired as their new cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator,[17] replacing James Rowe who left to become University of South Florida defensive passing game coordinator.[18]
On September 20, 2023, Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams resigned, citing health and family concerns.[19] According to multiple reports, the Bears’ human resources department was involved in the process that would lead up to Williams’ resignation as a result of inappropriate activity.[20] On October 16, 2023, the Phil Snow was hired as their Defensive Analyst.[21]
On November 1, 2023, Running backs coach David Walker was fired by the Bears over workplace behavior.[22] Omar Young, the assistant quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, replaced him.[23]
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Final roster
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
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Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
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Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
Special teams (ST)
|
Practice squad
Reserve
Rookies in italics 53 active, 2 reserve, 16 practice squad |
Preseason
The Bears' preseason opponents and schedule was announced in the spring.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 12 | Tennessee Titans | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 17–24 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | Buffalo Bills | L 21–24 | 1–2 | Soldier Field | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | Green Bay Packers | L 20–38 | 0–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 17–27 | 0–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 10–41 | 0–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | Denver Broncos | L 28–31 | 0–4 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | at Washington Commanders | W 40–20 | 1–4 | FedExField | Recap |
| 6 | October 15 | Minnesota Vikings | L 13–19 | 1–5 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 22 | Las Vegas Raiders | W 30–12 | 2–5 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | at Los Angeles Chargers | L 13–30 | 2–6 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 5 | at New Orleans Saints | L 17–24 | 2–7 | Caesars Superdome | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | Carolina Panthers | W 16–13 | 3–7 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | at Detroit Lions | L 26–31 | 3–8 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 12–10 | 4–8 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | Bye | |||||
| 14 | December 10 | Detroit Lions | W 28–13 | 5–8 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–20 | 5–9 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Arizona Cardinals | W 27–16 | 6–9 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | Atlanta Falcons | W 37–17 | 7–9 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 18 | January 7 | at Green Bay Packers | L 9–17 | 7–10 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| ||||||
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
| Bears | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 20 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: September 10
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,456
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Bears lost to the Packers for the 9th straight time and the 14th time in the last 15 meetings.
Week 2: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 89 °F (32 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,976
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 41 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 31 |
| Bears | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: October 1
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,220
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan and AJ Ross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Bears blew a 28–7 lead and lost to Russell Wilson and the Broncos, 31–28. The blown 21-point lead tied for the largest in Bears history.[24] The Bears remained winless and extended their losing streak to 14 games.
Week 5: at Washington Commanders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 10 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 40 |
| Commanders | 0 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 20 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: October 5
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT/7:15 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,727
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (WFLD/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Only a few hours after the death of team legend Dick Butkus, the Bears upset the Commanders, and picked up their first win of the season, improving to 1–4. Justin Fields had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 when he threw to D. J. Moore, and D. J. Moore had a day with 230 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns. They broke their losing streak of 14 games dating back to last season.
Week 6: vs. Minnesota Vikings
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 3 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 19 |
| Bears | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: October 15
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,167
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (Fox): Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs. Las Vegas Raiders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: October 22
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,199
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: at Los Angeles Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Chargers | 14 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Date: October 29
- Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT/5:20 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 76 °F (24 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 70,240
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: November 9
- Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 51 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 61,200
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (WFLD/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Detroit Lions
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
| Lions | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 31 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: November 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 63,873
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Bears became the first team in history to lose a game while having possession for over 40 minutes, with the Lions coming back from a 12-point deficit with just 4 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock.[25]
Week 12: at Minnesota Vikings
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 66,843
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Bears | 10 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 28 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: at Cleveland Browns
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: vs. Arizona Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Bears | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: December 24
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 59,978
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. Atlanta Falcons
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Bears | 7 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 37 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: December 31
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Light snow, 32 °F (0 °C)
- Game attendance: 61,752
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (CBS): Chris Lewis, Jason McCourty, Ross Tucker and Amanda Renner
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 18: at Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: January 7
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 34 °F (1 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,188
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
Division
| NFC North | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Detroit Lions | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 461 | 395 | W1 |
| (7) Green Bay Packers | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 383 | 350 | W3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 344 | 362 | L4 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 360 | 379 | L1 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1[a] | San Francisco 49ers | West | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .509 | .475 | L1 |
| 2[a][b] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .446 | .392 | W2 |
| 3[a][b] | Detroit Lions | North | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .481 | .436 | W1 |
| 4[c] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .481 | .379 | W1 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .481 | .476 | L2 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .529 | .453 | W4 |
| 7[d][e] | Green Bay Packers | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .474 | .458 | W3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 8[d][e] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .512 | .392 | W1 |
| 9[c][d] | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .433 | .340 | W2 |
| 10[f][g] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .509 | .454 | L4 |
| 11[g][h] | Chicago Bears | North | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .464 | .370 | L1 |
| 12[f][h] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .429 | .462 | L2 |
| 13 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .512 | .353 | W1 |
| 14[i] | Washington Commanders | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 0–6 | 2–10 | .512 | .338 | L8 |
| 15[i] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 0–6 | 3–9 | .561 | .588 | L1 |
| 16 | Carolina Panthers | South | 2 | 15 | 0 | .118 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .522 | .500 | L3 |
| Tiebreakers[j] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
References
- Gordon, Grant (October 6, 2023). "Justin Fields, Bears snap 14-game losing streak: 'I'm proud of everybody in the building'". NFL.com. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- "Bears reach historic depths of blowing late leads". ESPN.com. December 19, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- "Chicago Bears snap 14-game losing streak with 40-20 victory over the Washington Commanders". CNN.
- "2023 NFL Football Attendance - National Football League - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- McDaniel, Mike (March 10, 2023). "Bears Trade No. 1 Pick in 2023 NFL Draft to Panthers, per Reports". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- "Eagles trade up, pick Georgia DT Carter at No. 9". April 28, 2023.
- "Roster Move: Bears agree to acquire Chase Claypool in trade with Steelers". Chicago Bears. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- "Bears trading LB Roquan Smith to Ravens for draft picks". NFL.com. October 31, 2022.
- "Bears trade up for Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson with 56th pick in 2023 NFL draft". April 29, 2023.
- Hendrix, John (April 29, 2023). "Saints Trade With Bears to Get First Pick of Round 4". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- Spadaro, Dave (October 26, 2022). "Eagles trade for Pro Bowl DE Robert Quinn". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- Patra, Kevin (October 5, 2021). "Bears acquire WR Jakeem Grant in trade with Dolphins". NFL.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- Peterson, Michael (April 30, 2022). "Chargers trade #254, #255 to Bears for 2023 6th-round pick". Bolts From The Blue. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "Chargers Acquire Six-Time Pro Bowl Outside Linebacker Khalil Mack". March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- "Bears sign 14 undrafted free agents – Roster Moves". chicagobears.com. May 4, 2023.
- "Roster Moves: Bears sign four players from rookie minicamp". chicagobears.com. May 8, 2023.
- Hajduk, Gabby (February 1, 2023). "Bears announce staff changes". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- "Bears DBs coach James Rowe is leaving for USF". chicitysports.com. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- "Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns 'to take care of health and family'". Chicago Sun-Times. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- "Sources: Alan Williams left Bears over inappropriate activity". ESPN.
- "Bears hire Phil Snow as a defensive analyst". NBC Sports.
- "Source: Bears fire RB coach over behavior issue". ESPN.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- "Bears fire running backs coach David Walker due to workplace behavior". CBS.
- Bears' blown lead tied for worst meltdown in team history, Yahoo Sports, October 1, 2023
- Bears Made Embarrassing NFL History In Brutal Loss to Lions, SI.com, November 20, 2023