The end of a disappointing season also means the end of Lovie Smith's tenure as coach of the Chicago Bears.
Smith was dumped Monday as the team's head coach, one day after the Bears missed the playoffs despite a 10-6 record. The Bears got off to a fast 7-1 start, but faded in the second half of the season behind a struggling offense.
The Bears join a long list of NFL teams who will be looking for new coaches in the offseason.