The Chicago Bears made a roster move this NFL offseason that was a long time coming when it comes to many fans. The Bears cut Jay Cutler, their franchise quarterback and the man who holds most Chicago passing records. To replace him, the Bears signed Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup Mike Glennon and have now added former New York Jets starter Mark Sanchez as the backup.
Are the Chicago Bears better now?
Despite what many Chicago Bears fans might hope for, the team is worse now than they were in 2016 when they struggled the entire season. Not only did the Bears cut Jay Cutler but they also let their top receiver leave in Alshon Jeffery.
While Jeffery signed on with the Philadelphia Eagles, putting him on an instant playoff contender, the Bears were left with Cameron Meredith and Eddie Royal and a former backup quarterback in Mike Glennon to lead them. Mark Sanchez is making $2 million to stay with Chicago as a backup for one season. While there are some Bears fans who hoped that Glennon was a stopgap and that Chicago was drafting a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft, the signing of Sanchez indicates that is not the case. Sanchez's arrival makes it look like the Bears believe they have their franchise quarterback in Mike Glennon.
What can fans expect from the Bears in 2017?
The Chicago Bears cutting ties with Jay Cutler was not surprising because he only led them to the playoffs once over the eight years he spent in Chicago.
He also never made the playoffs with the Denver Broncos and has only made it to the postseason one time since high school. He had great stats, with over 200 touchdown passes and 32,000 yards passing, but he couldn't win the big games. In 2017, the Bears still won't make the playoffs. Mike Glennon lost his starting job to Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay and Mark Sanchez couldn't even hold onto a backup job with the Denver Broncos.
While Glennon is talented, he will need time to get accustomed to starting in the NFL again and the Bucs only went 4-12 the year he started for them. If they have to turn to Sanchez, the Chicago Bears might end up with another Jay Cutler, so Bears fans need to remain patient.
