NFC North Preview I: Chicago Bears
This is the first in a four-part series in which I will break down each of the NFC North teams. We begin alphabetically with the Chicago Bears.
Last Season: A Disappointing Step Backward
The 2024 Chicago Bears were expected to take a big step forward in 2024 after an exciting offseason highlighted by 1st overall draft pick Caleb Williams—one of the most highly-touted QB prospects in years. The Bears surrounded Williams with recently acquired WRs D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze; together, the group was supposed to lead a passing attack the likes of which had never been seen in the Windy City.
In reality, things didn’t go according to plan. Williams improved throughout the season, but he never lived up to his lofty expectations. The offensive line proved porous.
The Bears lost a Week 8 heartbreaker to the Commanders on a last-second Hail Mary enabled by botched coverage. This team went into a downward spiral from which they never recovered, losing the next nine games. The Bears, once again, finished at the bottom of the NFC North, and they fired head coach Matt Eberflus in the middle of the season.
Biggest Move: Hiring Ben Johnson
Bears fans looking for optimism after a disappointing season need look no further than the hiring of former Lions OC Ben Johnson as their new head coach. Johnson engineered the league’s most potent offense in 2024, and by hiring him, the Bears simultaneously added an offensive mastermind to their own building while depriving a division rival of his services.
Biggest Loss: Cap Flexibility
When Ryan Poles was hired as the Bears’ general manager in 2022, he did the thing that many Vikings fans have long clamored for: he tore the roster down to the studs, stockpiling cap space and draft capital for future seasons.
Ultimately, though, cap space doesn’t win football games: it first needs to be converted into players through free agent signings and contract extensions.
The Bears have finally done that, bringing in notable free agents like Drew Dalman, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Grady Jarrett on 8-figure contracts. Consequently, the Bears now rank 27th in 2025 cap space and 25th in 2026 cap space. Of course, this lack of cap space matters little if the team is good, but if they aren’t, Ryan Poles will be low on options and out of excuses.
Bottom Line
The 2024 Bears were probably a better team than their record would lead you to believe: they lost some close contests that they probably should have won, and they suffered from playing in the best division in football.
If Ben Johnson can replicate the offensive success he achieved in Detroit, the Bears will be contenders for the division title, if not the Super Bowl. But the Bears’ offensive line is nowhere near as stout as the Lions’ was in 2024, and Caleb Williams’ style is very different from that of Detroit QB Jared Goff. I would expect improvement from the Bears, but it would take a lot of things to go right for them to take the North. Most likely, the Bears will once again finish at the bottom of the pile.