The Chicago Bears appear to be a team on the upswing. After all, finishing with the worst record in the league in 2022 means there's nowhere to go but up. 

This offseason, the team made several moves to ensure they would not be near the bottom much longer. In addition to having more talent on the roster, the team also was fortunate to see Aaron Rodgers leave the division. 

With these things in mind, one NFL writer is not counting the Bears out in 2023.

Mike Jones of The Athletic recently unveiled his winners and losers of the 2023 offseason. 

Jones listed all four NFC North teams as winners owing to the division being wide-open. Regarding the Bears, Jones said the following:

And don’t sleep on Chicago, which took an aggressive and impressive approach to upgrading on both sides of the ball while continuing the mission of building around Justin Fields. Now is the time to strike with Green Bay forced into reset mode.

The Vikings appear to be entering a rebuild and the Packers have a massive unknown at QB, leaving the Lions and Bears as two teams in prime position to take over. 

The Bears' offensive line and receiver group were massive weak spots in 2022, and both have been addressed. Nate Davis and Darnell Wright immediately strengthen the line, while DJ Moore provides a true No. 1 receiver for Fields. 

Can the Bears take the next step and compete for the NFC North crown once again? 

Featured image via © Daniel Bartel | 2022 Sep 25