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4 bold predictions for Chicago Bears in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:41 PM ET

With the release of the full 2025 NFL schedule on Wednesday night, the last piece of the NFL puzzle has fallen into place. Fans and analysts can now scour the NFL calendar to look for favorable matchups or critical, must-win games.

As for the Chicago Bears, they enter 2025 with lofty expectations. Given their tremendous offseason, adding talent and an exciting coaching staff to a team that many believed should have already been a playoff contender, these expectations are only fair. The Bears have all the ingredients of a playoff team, and they need to prove it in 2025.

With that in mind, here are four bold predictions for the Bears now that their full schedule is known.

1. The Bears will start the season 4-0.

For a team that's struggled to simply win back-to-back games in recent years, this would be a breath of fresh air. It won't be easy, nothing in the NFL is, but it's doable when you look at their opponents.

They face the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings to start the year, before there's any tape of these new-look Bears for opponents to digest. This should give Chicago an advantage. Plus, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be making his NFL debut against the Bears, on the road, and in primetime. That's a lot of pressure on a rookie and should give Chicago another edge.

After that, Chicago takes on the Dallas Cowboys at home and the Raiders in Las Vegas, neither of whom are expected to be world beaters. If they handle their business, this would give the Bears their best start to a season since 2020.

2. Chicago will run the table in the NFC North.

If you didn't think that first one was bold enough, try this on for size. And before you dismiss this prediction, let's just be honest about the state of the NFC North. The defending division champs, the Detroit Lions, lost their offensive and defensive coordinators. Looking at recent NFL history, that almost guarantees they take a step back for at least one year.

As for the Vikings, after overachieving thanks to Sam Darnold's renaissance season, will be turning the keys to the franchise over to a rookie. McCarthy could be very good. He could also struggle immensely as a rookie. And then you have the Green Bay Packers, who the Bears already very nearly swept in 2024 despite a much weaker squad and coaching staff.

3. The Bears strip the NFC North crown away from Detroit.

Piggybacking off of that last prediction, if the Bears go 6-0 in the division, then the division title is as good as theirs. They would own every tiebreaker with their rivals and would likely be well on their way to a 12 or 13-win season. This would make Chicago's first division title since 2018, the longest drought in the NFC North.

4. The Bears will fall to the Browns and Giants, but neither team will make the playoffs.

Not every bold prediction is a positive one. The Browns have had Chicago's number in recent years. In 2023, Joe Flacco orchestrated a comeback victory over the Bears in a defensive slugfest. In 2021, the Browns welcomed quarterback Justin Fields to the NFL to the tune of 9 sacks. That defense, led by Myles Garrett, is just dominant, and I think they will extend their winning streak over Chicago.

As for the Giants, they're going to surprise a lot of people. By adding former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson, they've massively upgraded their quarterback room. Then, in the 2025 NFL draft, they selected Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter and are going to put him next to arguably the best defensive tackle in football, Dexter Lawrence.

Both teams feature a ferocious front-four on defense that can give even the best O-lines absolute fits. Expect Chicago to be overwhelmed in these matchups and deliver two disappointing losses.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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