2008 Chicago Bears season
| 2008 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Head coach | Lovie Smith |
| General manager | Jerry Angelo |
| Owner | The McCaskey Family |
| Home field | Soldier Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC North |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 1 |
| Uniform | |
 |
|
The 2008 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 89th regular season in the National Football League. They finished the 2008 season with a 9–7 record, improving upon their 7–9 record from the 2007 season. The Bears failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Following their 7–9 finish in the 2007 season, the Bears were faced with many issues to address heading into the 2008 NFL season. In an interview, Jerry Angelo, the team's general manager, stated the Bears will seek to bring stability to their offense by creating competition for their current running backs and quarterbacks through free agency and the upcoming draft. The team's running game ranked near last in almost every statistical category, while the Bears had to rely on three different quarterbacks to finish the season. Additionally, the Bears were faced with many questions pertaining to their aging offensive line, which was ridden with injuries and inconsistent play throughout the 2007 season. A week before free agency started, the Bears opted to extend Alex Brown's contract, who recorded three sacks, two tackles for loss, one interception, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery after reclaiming his starting job. The same day, the Bears parted with Muhsin Muhammad, Fred Miller, and Darwin Walker. A few days later, Jerry Angelo stated the franchise would not re-sign Ruben Brown, and suggested the team was in the process of rebuilding their offensive line. The Bears then focused their attention to their quarterbacks; re-signing Rex Grossman, and extending Kyle Orton's contract for another year. The team considered releasing Brian Griese in order to avoid a $300,000 dollar bonus, but eventually traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a sixth round draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
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