Chicago Bears: Foundation set for a brighter future

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Dec 30, 2015

The Chicago Bears might have endured a losing season in 2015 but the foundation is already set for a brighter future.

At this point in time, the season of the Bears is officially over. They’re currently 6-9, eliminated from the NFL Playoffs with a season finale against the Detroit Lions at home. Regardless if they win or lose, this season will be remembered as one taking the team a step into the right direction.

Related Story: Who is the best NFL player born in your state?

It’s amazing what a new leadership regime can do when they share the common goal that although it’s going to take a few years to accomplish, a culture of team accountability, hard work and execution has already been set across the organization. General manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox can look at this season with many positives compared to the disaster of a season the Bears had back in 2014.

More from Chicago Bears

Both have had their part in the solid turnaround of the Bears. Crazy thing about this season has been just how close the Bears have been in their nine losses on the year. They’ve been competitive and even though they lost that many games, they still played close enough to actually leave many of those games victorious. As they continue to build upon this foundation for the future, fans can’t help but be excited for what is on the horizon for the Bears.

The most important aspect of the turnaround of culture on the Bears are the players buying into what both Pace and Fox are trying to establish now for the future. They hold much more say under Fox than in the past as he encourages players to have a voice, earn their playing time and breed a culture of success among them.

In an article written by Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com, here is what head coach John Fox had to say about the culture being set now to build upon in the future:

"“The term ‘team’—Together Everybody Accomplishes More—and doing it for your teammates and doing it for something bigger than yourself helps create chemistry, an edge, whatever word or label you want to put on it. It’s empowering guys to lead.”"

Patience will be key for everything to come together as both Pace and Fox know that the future is indeed bright because they’re not where they need to be now and everyone knows there is still a whole lot of work ahead to get there. With another off-season filled with some hopeful free agent acquisitions and a successful NFL Draft, the second year under this new regime should yield even better results.

One player that surprised many this season has been the better play of quarterback Jay Cutler. Thanks to this new regime, Cutler has played a smart and more consistent style of football. He hasn’t had a single multi-interception game and his numbers have been respectable.

So far this season, Cutler has totaled 3,414 passing yards on 294 completions, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Compared to last season where he had 18 interceptions, it’s clear that Cutler has improved for the better and will only continue to do so over time thanks to understanding what is most important. He’s a prime example of believing that the benefit of the team is all about putting them in a position to succeed.

More nfl spin zone: Chicago Bears: 3 Free Agency Possibilities

With the way the Bears are handling things these days, it’s not so much about the individuals but again, more of the team as a whole. Confidence breeds success as this regime preaches more about bringing in the right players to deliver that message rather than brag about individual results. It’s the kind of culture that once it gets cultivated, will be the key difference in making the Bears contenders again.

Home/Chicago Bears