The Chicago Bears rose from last place to the playoffs last season under first-year head coach Ben Johnson and the emergence of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Now what?
In 2026 do the Bears take the next step beyond winning a playoff game all the way to a possible Super Bowl berth or do they go into hibernation?
I have but one vote, and I cast it on the Bears going to sleep in the coming NFL season. They fall right into a common pattern for a breakthrough team rising from last place one season to a playoff win the next and then collapsing in the succeeding year.
Why?
It is a combination of expectations exceeding actual talent and the motivation of the players. When a team has the spike in their play to overcome last place it serves as a much better springboard than trying to build on success. At least, from a motivational perspective.
Two seasons ago, the Washington Commanders rose from the cellar in 2023 to the NFC Championship Game. Their success behind the spectacular rookie season of quarterback Jayden Daniels had a lot of the preseason predictions having the Commanders winning the NFC East last year.
Didn’t happen.
They followed their breakthrough season with a five-win campaign that had only the four wins picked up by the New York Giants keeping them out of their division cellar. This year, the expectations for the Commanders is low and we can expect their results to rise above them.
As for the Bears, few predicted that in Williams’ sophomore season he would find a way to leapfrog three highly regarded teams in his division, namely the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. Not only did the Bears finish first over that expected tough competition, they went on to participate in their first playoff game since 2020 after capturing their first NFC North Division title in seven years.
That is a lot of “firsts”. What now?
The media in the Windy City is all over the Bears anticipated success for 2026. And why not, after all Williams is entering his third season which is traditionally a year in which a franchise quarterback reaches his first apex of success. Chicago Head Coach Johnson had directed the Detroit Lions offense to the most prolific unit in football during his tenure as their offensive coordinator. Then, the year he leaves Detroit to take the head coaching job in Chicago, he guides the Bears to an opening postseason victory while Detroit misses the playoffs.
Quarterback and coach are the first two primary ingredients in a winning organization.
If the Bears have that and still have cap money to attract other stars while Williams is pinned to his rookie contract for a couple more years, well how can this get any better for the Monsters of the Midway?
It can’t.
Which is why I think it is going to get much worse.