Chicago Bears face a harsh reality thanks to the Micah Parsons-Packers trade but the bright side is it's not permanent

The Chicago Bears, along with the rest of the NFC North, received some unwanted news Thursday night when the Green Bay Packers officially pulled off a trade for Micah Parsons. The all-world pass rusher is now a cheesehead through the 2029 season and will certainly be on the minds of the Bears and their divisional counterparts moving forward.

The move sent ripples throughout the NFCN and the conference as a whole. For the Bears, specifically, it reminded them of a harsh reality: They're still a step away from becoming a playoff contender and the expectations for 2025 should simply be about progress before anything else.

Bears have a ways to go before competing in the NFC North

With all the additions made this offseason in Chicago, expectations undoubtedly rose to an even higher level, a dangerous game the Bears are used to playing. After this trade by the Packers, it’s clear the Bears still have a long way to go before being able to truly compete for an NFC North title.

Now, let me be clear, it won’t take too much time to get to that level with a strong foundation in place. The future is very bright for the Bears and this team could easily be in a spot, next year, where playoffs are a realistic expectation. But when it comes to 2025, expectations should be lessened after seeing this move.

Detroit, Minnesota, and Green Bay are primed to make some noise and a deep run in the NFC. Chicago still has a lot to prove to get out of the division basement.

Caleb Williams has to prove he's the franchise quarterback the Bears believe him to be. The offensive line has to show it's not just improved on paper, but on the field, too. Allen faces the questions of re-proving himself as a defensive coordinator after several years of being a head coach. If he can pick up where he left off as a DC then the Bears have the talent of defense to be one of the NFL's best units. We still have to see that come to fruition, however, and we don't know if it will just yet.

At the same time, Chicago has early measuring stick games in the first two weeks against Minnesota and Detroit to determine if the revamped team can hang with the top dogs. While a lot can change over the course of an NFL season, those two contests will say a lot about the state of the Bears and the direction they're headed.

As for the matchups against Green Bay, the Bears won’t face its bitter rival and the team’s new weapon until Week 14, giving Chicago plenty of time to prepare.

So, while the Bears still have a lot to prove, the key part is 2025 will give them all kinds of opportunities to do just that - answer questions.

Packers trade for Micah Parsons overshadows all progress the Bears have made in the NFC North arms race

The Chicago Bears have been the talk of the town in the NFC North the past few months and earned the title of “Offseason Champs” in the NFL once again.

It’s a faux award fans are tired of hearing in Chicago - because the only thing that matters are results on the field. Even still, the progress the Bears made in the NFC North arms race this offseason has been impressive.

By adding head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears locker room culture and offense took a complete 180 degree turn. On defense, Allen’s presence and new additions created a whole new aggressive mindset.

But even with all the moves, the Parsons-to-Packers trade overshadows them all. It's simply because we're talking about one of the best players in the game who is still in his prime, regardless of position, and he just so happens to play one of the most important positions. Parsons is a true game-wrecker and his presence can take a bad defense and immediately make it a good one. That's how special he is.

There's still plenty of reason for optimism in 2025 and beyond

No one is saying this should take any excitement away from the Bears' current direction. The good news is if things go according to plan, they'll be right in the playoff mix in 2026. It's not a permanent or even short-term status, whatsoever. The arrow is pointing up in Chicago, but unfortunately it's even higher in Green Bay after the Parsons trade.