breaking news: JUST IN A Packer player has decided not to return to the team.

The Bears could face a real dilemma on Christmas Eve.

They host the Cardinals and  still have a very remote chance for the playoffs. Their own playoff chances depend on winning out but they also need a number of other things to happen. New York Times says they have a 3% chance of making it.

One thing that can help them is for Green Bay to lose in its game on Christmas Eve. No problem here because the average Bears fan would like the Grinch to succeed on Christmas Eve more than they would like to see the Packers succeed then.

This is where the real dilemma comes in because the Packers are playing none other than the Bears’ Round 1 draft surrogates. Yes, it’s the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers are playing dangerous games these days with the Bears’ first pick in the draft. It’s like, “Hey, you kids, quit playing with that nitroglycerin!” If they don’t watch it, they might drop it and blow everything up.

The Panthers foolishly went out and won a game Sunday over Ryan Pace’s Atlanta Falcons and now the lead that the Bears have through Carolina for the first pick of the 2024 draft is only one game.

Also, the New England Patriots continue to lose. They trail the Panthers by a game and the tiebreaker situation between the Patriots and Panthers is virtually a deadlock. Panthers opponents have a .519 strength of schedule and New England .523. So the Panthers lead the tiebreaker by .004. That’s cutting it close, and the strength of schedule tiebreaker can swing several points a week.

So the Bears can think about that playoff spot and seeing the Packers lose, which is always a pleasant thought. But remember, too, that even if the Packers lose the chances of the Bears making the playoffs if they win all three remaining games are not good, anyway.

Or they can think about having the first pick in the draft.

Hmmm.

If I’m the Bears, it might be time to start wearing one of those cheesehead hats. It’s a lot more important than maintaining a virtually impossible 3% chance at a playoff berth.

It might be disgusting to Bears fans, but they might find that cheese more digestible if come draft day they’re selecting Caleb Williams, or if not and they want to keep Justin Fields, then Marvin Harrison Jr.