NFL 25 Dream Teams that ended up being failures
By Nick Villano
NFL 25 Dream Teams that ended up being failures: 12. 2007 Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were riding high going into the 2007 season. They had just come off a Super Bowl appearance, and while it didn’t go well, they were one of the two best teams in the NFL a season ago. They won two awesome games at Soldier Field to get to the Big Game. In 2007, they were ready to take that final step towards a championship.
The offseason started a little tumultuous with Tank Johnson’s jail sentence, his following arrest for DUI, and his eventual release as an employee of the Bears. There was also the very messy contract negotiation with superstar linebacker Lance Briggs. They also traded away starting running back Thomas Jones to the Jets.
However, there were additions that were supposed to bring some much-needed productivity. They added Adam Archulette and Darwin Walker to bolster the defense. It wasn’t even the players that were the most confusing move of the offseason. They let defensive coordinator Ron Rivera walk. His contract ended, and they just didn’t renew it. Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson also left, and that would make a significant mark on the team.
The season finally started, and the Bears were still expected to be one of the best teams in the NFC. The Bears struggled and Rex Grossman could not deliver on his preseason expectations. The NFC North was stacked, and a 7-9 record was good for last place in the division for the Bears. It was one of the worst Super Bowl hangovers in history, and the Bears really never recovered. Grossman was benched for Brian Griese less than a month into the season. He was replaced by Kyle Orton. It was a mess, just like this entire Bears season.