As most things Chicago Bears tend to be, the 2023 season was cyclical, starting and ending with a loss to the Green Bay Packers. It was one of the most disappointing and deflating seasons as a Bears fan in recent memory, but it’s over. There’s plenty to be determined this offseason, but today, we will take a moment to celebrate something good.

On Monday, I submitted my PFWA (Pro Football Writers of America) ballot for the 2023 on-field awards. Here’s what I was privileged enough to vote for this season:

I won’t reveal my entire ballot today, but as an exclusive for subscribers of the BN Newsletter, I will share the four Chicago Bears that made my ballot, where, and why.

But first, here’s the release schedule for the 2023 PFWA On-Field Awards:

Monday, Jan. 22: All-NFL, All-AFC, All-NFC teams

Tuesday, Jan. 23: Rookie of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, All-Rookie Team

Wednesday, Jan. 24: Most Valuable Player, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year

Thursday, Jan. 25: Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year

Friday, Jan. 26: Comeback Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year

So, if you’re reading this on the web, the party stops here. This one is for subscribers only. Of course, you can be, too, for free by simply dropping your email in the box below (visible to non-subscribers)!

All right, now that it’s just the cool kids let’s get into it.

It struck me as comical that the CBS pairing of Tony Romo and Jim Nantz referred to D.J. Moore as a “throw-in” in the trade last spring that sent Moore to Chicago along with a heaping serving of draft capital in exchange for the top overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The truth is, D.J. Moore was a sticking point in that deal for Ryan Poles. We know that. Anyone on the broadcast team who did one iota of research before Sunday’s game should also have.

But that doesn’t mean that D.J. Moore’s 2023 season wasn’t any less impressive. It was a career-year Moore who hauled in 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight scores.

All three of those marks were career-best marks for Moore. His 14.2 yards per reception was his second-best output, and his 70.6 percent catch percentage (targets divided by receptions) was a career-high. Moore’s 540 yards after the catch ranked 11th in the league and another career-high. Moore also posted a career-best in broken tackles (9), drop percentage (2.9%), and passer rating on passes thrown to him (113.1).

After five solid seasons in Carolina, D.J. Moore became what many doubted he was before the season started: a true No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.

The Bears’ offense went as Moore went, as D.J. accounted for 53% of Justin Fields’ passing yards, 50% of his passing touchdowns, and 42.2% of his completions on the season.

Moore recorded an 89.4 offensive grade at PFF — ninth best out of 128 qualified wide receivers — which was a significant improvement over his 73.9 in 2022 and his previous career-high of 82.2.

Not only did Moore carry the Bears offense and have the undisputed best season of his career, but he transformed from an excellent wide receiver to a No. 1 wide receiver this year.

Jaylon Johnson came into the season as a question mark regarding his contract extension and answered every question loudly. Johnson finished the season with four interceptions, but his value beyond the pick extends much further. Take a look at some of these numbers.

Player A is New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, last year’s Rookie of the Year, PFWA first-team All-Conference cornerback, and Pro Bowler.

Player B is Jaylon Johnson, who has already been named to the Pro Bowl Games and should be a first-team All-Conference player in a few weeks.

Oh, and he’s about to get PAID!

The Chicago Bears have been performing well in terms of their defense since the trade deadline. They have been ranked in the top 10 in defensive EPA per play. One of the key players behind this success is Jaylon Johnson. Although it seemed like Johnson might be traded, the team decided to keep him, and he has continued to play exceptionally well.

Johnson has an overall grade of 90.0 over at PFF, the second-highest among cornerbacks this season. He has also been a tough nut to crack for the opposition, allowing a completion rate of just 45.5% when targeted, the fourth-lowest among the 111 cornerbacks this season. Due to his excellent performance, he has one of the lowest target rates in coverage. Quarterbacks tend to avoid targeting him due to his impressive defensive skills.

The “Sweat Effect” has been real since Montez Sweat arrived in Chicago on Halloween. In nine games with the Bears, Sweat racked up 6.5 sacks, 11 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, and a pair of forced fumbles.

In eight games with the Commanders, Sweat notched 6.0 sacks, 14 QB hits, four tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.

Here are his 2023 numbers: 12.5 sacks, 25 QB hits, 14 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.

Sweat’s work in Washington and Chicago this season earned him a third straight Pro Bowl selection and a new contract extension in Chicago that he’s already outplayed the AAV of.

During Chicago's season finale, Darnell Wright faced the challenge of going up against Rashan Gary. However, he performed remarkably well.

Only one hurry was allowed by Wright, and he finished the day by a wide margin as the highest-graded offensive lineman of the Bears.

Wright proved durable and reliable in his rookie season, leading the team in snaps played by over 100. If he works on his footwork and reduces penalties, he will be a valuable contributor to Chicago for a long time.

Wright was PFF’s second-highest-graded rookie tackle this season behind Cleveland’s Dawand Jones (who I also voted for in this category).

Feature Photo: (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)