2007 Chicago Bears season
| 2007 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Head coach | Lovie Smith |
| General manager | Jerry Angelo |
| Owner | The McCaskey Family |
| Home field | Soldier Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 4th NFC North |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 2007 Chicago Bears season was the team's 88th regular season in the National Football League. The season officially began on September 9, 2007 against the San Diego Chargers, and concluded on December 30 against the New Orleans Saints. The Bears entered the 2007 season as the National Football Conference Champions and had hopes of returning to the Super Bowl, but instead finished the season with a disappointing 7–9 record.
One of the biggest stories in the Bears' off-season was Tank Johnson's jail sentence. In December 2006, Johnson came under increased scrutiny after police entered his house in Gurnee, Illinois, and found several guns and weapon paraphernalia. The situation was further complicated when Johnson's friend, William Posey, was murdered the following evening while defending Johnson at a nightclub. On March 15, 2007, a judge in Skokie, Illinois sentenced Johnson to 120 days in jail and fined him $2,500 dollars. He was released from jail on May 13, 2007, due to good behavior. Johnson also faced an additional eight-game suspension from the NFL. The league ultimately suspended Johnson for half of the regular season on June 4. Despite vowing to amend his ways, Johnson was pulled over for speeding in Arizona, and was later given a blood test after an officer suspected he was driving under the influence. The incident prompted the Bears to waive Johnson on June 25. Johnson was replaced by Darwin Walker.
Additionally, controversy ensued between the Bears' management and Lance Briggs. Only weeks after losing Super Bowl XLI, the Bears placed a franchise tag worth nearly 7.2 million dollars on the Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker, keeping him with the team for another year. Briggs became unhappy with the action and voiced his anger on The Mike North Morning Show. He even went as far to claim he no longer wanted to be a member of the Bears, a statement he later reiterated nationally on FoxSports.com. Despite Briggs' remarks, the Bears stated that they planned to keep him with the organization for the 2007 season. The Washington Redskins offered to exchange first-round draft picks with the Bears in exchange for Briggs. Angelo deferred the offer on April 3, but later stated they were interested in negotiating another deal the following day. Briggs came to terms with the Bears on July 25, and accepted the 7.2 million dollar contract.
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