The Chicago Bears checked nearly every box in 2025. They ended the season as NFC North champions and won a playoff game for the first time since 2010. And while there's excitement and optimism about the 2026 season and beyond, the business side of the offseason will create a few problems for GM Ryan Poles.
The Chicago Bears reshaped expectations following a 2025 season that finally seemed to get it right. After years of instability because of poor coaching hires and failed first-round quarterbacks, Chicago finally looked like a franchise with answers instead of questions.
When the Chicago Bears won the NFC North and snapped their playoff drought with a wild-card victory in the 2025 season, Ryan Poles' rebuild became a contender.
Bears coach Ben Johnson came up two wins short of doing what Mike Vrabel and seven other coaches have accomplished. Vrabel, Gary Kubiak, Jim Caldwell, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, George Siefert, Red Miller and Don McCafferty all made the Super Bowl in their first year coaching their team.
The Chicago Bears had a successful season in 2025. Under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, they went from 5-12 in 2024 to 11-6 and NFC North division champions.
The best teams do not always win the Super Bowl. Sometimes, great NFL squads have failed to win a playoff game. Here are the best ones since the AFL-NFL merger to fall short of advancing in a postseason bracket.
The difference between the better NFL teams and weaker ones can be easily quantified. The Bears have numbers from 2025 clearly indicating what they need to do in the offseason.
The Chicago Bears took major strides in 2025 compared to where they were in 2024. After finishing 5-12 and in last place in the NFC North just a year ago, they went 11-6 this season and won the division.
The Chicago Bears made a handful of free agent signings last offseason to help improve the roster. The front office made some major moves, while others were not as successful as they would have liked it to be.
Bears QB Caleb Williams reflected on his second season in the NFL and talked about what he’s learned and how he can apply it to next year. “You get into these games, you win a bunch of games, you get into these playoff games and you’re winning,” Williams said, via Bears Wire.
The emphasis on defense in this draft for the Bears is so necessary it can be seen now three months away from that great spring day. Senior Bowl practices this week brought forth numerous reports of standout performances from players at need positions for the Bears, some even from players who were surprises.
First off, I feel the need to mention that the Pro Bowl has been a joke for a long time. I miss the days when fans could enjoy seeing Sean Taylor absolutely destroy Bills punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt.
For years, Thanksgiving belonged to the NFL, but Christmas belonged to the NBA. Occasionally, an NFL game would fall on Christmas, but it was anomalous, even avoided if possible.
The Chicago Bears made a handful of free agent signings last offseason that helped the franchise take a massive step in the right direction this year. With the team being able to step up this season, they saw some players take a massive step forward.
The Chicago Bears improved in just about every facet in the 2025 NFL season. This was particularly true on offense as first-year head coach Ben Johnson introduced new schemes that benefited stack Caleb Williams.
The Chicago Bears had one of the most drastic turnarounds in the NFL this past season. After finishing 5-12 in 2024, the Bears hired Ben Johnson as their head coach and gave him many of the offensive tools he needed to revamp Chicago’s offense.
Life moves pretty fast in the NFL. One week, your offensive coordinator declines to interview with a team one year removed from a Super Bowl title, and the next, that coordinator is gone.
The Chicago Bears are not in the best position when it comes to their 2026 salary cap. According to Over the Cap, Chicago currently is $17.6 million over the cap for next season.
Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland showed his appreciation for teammate, veteran guard Joe Thuney. The Bears star center is up for the inaugural Protector of the Year Award.
The Bears will be forced to deal with more change on their offensive coaching staff than they would like. The hiring of Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle by the Baltimore Ravens for the same task but with play-calling duties will no doubt make for a challenge at Halas Hall.
The Chicago Bears were one of the most exciting teams in the NFL this season thanks much in part to their dynamic offense led by quarterback Caleb Williams, but defensively, it was another story for the Bears.
Nearly 24 hours after the Chicago Bearslost assistant general manager Ian Cunningham (the right-hand man of general manager Ryan Poles) to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bears are losing another rising member of the organization in offensive coordinator Declan Doyle (the right-hand man for head coach Ben Johnson).
Unfortunately for Ben Johnson, his coaching staff with the Chicago Bears is getting picked apart this offseason. Johnson, 39, lived up to the hype this season by leading the Bears to an 11-6 record.
The week of practice down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama is in the books with the showcase game set to be played on Saturday and tons of prospects have already boosted their draft stock in a major way during the three days of practice.
The Chicago Bears’ 2025 season will be remembered for the offensive explosion led by Caleb Williams, but the defensive turnaround under head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Eric Washington was just as crucial to the team’s NFC North title run.