RGIII Gives Honest, Scathing Review of Bears Following Abysmal 'TNF' Performance

The former Washington and Cleveland quarterback has some experience with poorly-run franchises.

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; ESPN college football and NFL analyst Robert Griffin III reacts on the sidelines before a 2024 AFC divisional round game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Robert Griffin III has seen some of the best and the worst of what the NFL has to offer during his football career. The former Baylor Heisman winner began his career with an electric rookie season in Washington, only to have injuries derail a promising run with a franchise that spent years as arguably the most dysfunctional in the NFL. He later played for another team that could contend for that mantle, the Cleveland Browns.

So when the former ESPN personality says a franchise is the worst in the league, he has some experience to back it up. After watching the Chicago Bears fall to the Seattle Seahawks in a brutal 6–3 game on Thursday Night Football, he believes the NFC North team deserves that distinction.

"The Chicago Bears are the worst run franchise in the NFL. Their fans deserve better," he posted to X after the game.

Griffin's statement comes after yet another poorly-managed late-game situation by the Bears. This time, it was interim head coach Thomas Brown who flubbed his timeout usage, calling one after sending the punt unit out on a late fourth down, before changing his mind and opting to attempt a conversion. Caleb Williams converted the fourth-and-6, but the team let far too much time off the clock as it worked its way down the field. The drive, which was plagued by fits and starts, ultimately culminated in a game-sealing interception.

The Bears, now 4–12 with the loss, have to rank up among the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. The franchise added weapons like Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze to try and fast-track the development of Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, into a franchise quarterback. Williams has had impressive moments but has fallen short of expectations as the rest of the NFC North gears up for the playoffs.

Chicago certainly deserves criticism. The team hasn't had a head coach last more than four seasons since Lovie Smith was fired in 2012. During that time, only Matt Nagy posted a winning record (12–4 in '18) and reached the playoffs ('18, '20 wild-card rounds). Even so, the Bears' head coaching vacancy should have plenty of suitors. Before he took the job at North Carolina, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and his closest confidants reportedly considered Chicago "the most attractive job" that was set to come open.

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