Godofredo A. Vasquez/AP
None of this had to happen.
Not Tyrique Stevenson’s jawdropping foolishness, which cost the Bears a game against the Commanders.
Not a fainthearted decision by coach Matt Eberflus, which was followed by a blocked field-goal attempt that cost the Bears a game against the Packers.
If Jim Harbaugh were coaching this team, there’d be order in the court. There’d be on-field discipline. There’d be football brainpower.
But, no. The Bears just had to give Eberflus another year to prove himself after a 7-10 mark in 2023, allowing the big one to get away.