Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Going into this season, the brutal homestretch was supposed to be about rookie quarterback Caleb Williams reaching his cruising altitude and lifting the Bears into the playoffs.
Instead, these last five games are about something entirely different.
At 4-8 going into their game Sunday at the 49ers, the Bears are closer to a top-10 draft pick than they are a postseason berth. Their dreams fizzled a while ago, but there’s still a lot on the line.
The remaining five games, during which the Bears face the 49ers, Vikings, Lions, Seahawks and Packers, are an important runway into next season.