(670 The Score) In the aftermath of a heartbreaking end to a turnaround season, the beacon of hope for Bears players was the reminder in their exit interviews with coach Matt Nagy that this was only their beginning.

Of course, that won't be the case for every single player. For safety Adrian Amos, an impending free agent this offseason, there's no certainty as to what's ahead. That made the sudden ending even more challenging, as Amos understands it's possible he may not be back with the Bears.

"It’s always in the back of your mind and then more to the forefront as these days go on," Amos said after clearing his locker at Halas Hall. "You talk to coaches, talk to (the front office), my agent. Really, it’s nothing in my hands anymore. I put my tape out there. I played with my teammates. I was really focused more on trying to win a Super Bowl this year. Just, man, it’s a hard deal."

At the NFL Combine last February, general manager Ryan Pace indicated the Bears could pursue contract extensions for nose tackle Eddie Goldman and Amos, two 2015 draft picks who have been full-time starters for the entirety of their rookie contracts. The team and Goldman agreed on a four-year, $42-million contract extension in early September. Amos didn't get a new deal.

The 25-year-old Amos has played in 60 games (56 starts) during his first four NFL seasons, recording 269 tackles, three interceptions and 18 pass breakups. In 2018, he started every game and logged 73 tackles, two interceptions and nine pass breakups in his best statistical season.

"I always come out here and give it my all," Amos said. "This year, we were a better team. We had a lot of success on defense this year. I feel like I’ve been pretty consistent over my years here. You have bad games here and there. You have great games here and there. Overall, I just hope my tape speaks for itself.

"When coaches watch my film, (people) upstairs, they see what I bring to the table as far as communication, athleticism, everything they would want to see. I hope they’ve seen it, but I can’t worry about what they did see because it’s already happened."

The Bears will have limited cap space this spring after making major investments last offseason, led by the record six-year, $141-million deal awarded to star outside linebacker Khalil Mack. The team is projected to have just shy of $19.7 million in cap room (assuming a $189-million team cap total) this spring, according to Spotrac. Nickel corner Bryce Callahan and right tackle Bobby Massie are the other starters slated to hit the open market.

What the Bears have planned for Amos remains to be seen, but if there was a hint in the team's season-ending press conference Monday, it was Pace referencing his success with mid-round picks -- All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson was a fourth-round selection in 2016, and Amos was taken in the fifth round in 2015.

Answers for Amos will follow in the coming months, though the realities returned to mind when the fun of this season came to an end.

"I’ve been having fun and riding this wave of the season," he said. "I talk to my boys. Obviously, I talk back and forth with my teammates about certain stuff here and there about trying to get back and different things like that. All in all, I’ve really been focusing on trying to get to the Super Bowl. But we came up short."