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Chicago Bears earn notable offseason ranking ahead of 2025 NFL season

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 9:30 AM ET

The Chicago Bears can be described in many ways as the 2025 NFL season approaches. A young team? Sure. A team in transition? Yeah, sounds about right. An exciting team with the NFL's most sought-after head coach and a thrilling second-year quarterback? Yep, that applies too.

What's also true is that the Bears might be the most unpredictable team this year. Sure, Bears fans and NFL analysts are expecting Ben Johnson to revolutionize offense in Chicago. And Caleb Williams is supposed to rewrite the Bears' single-season passing records this fall.

But not everything you think will happen actually does happen. And it's why the Chicago Bears were recently named the NFL's most boom-or-bust team in 2025.

The Boom? It's all about Caleb.

"Sophomore No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams takes a big step forward under new head coach Ben Johnson while the defense keeps climbing to elite status," Bleacher Report's Ben Gagnon wrote. "The Bears shock the Lions, Vikings and Packers in the NFC North and go on a playoff run."

The bust? Yep, it's all about Caleb.

"Williams slumps in Year 2 while trying to adjust to a new offense and a retooled offensive line, and a challenging division overwhelms the rebuilding team as it loses double-digit games. "

It makes sense. Let's face it: every NFL team's success or failure usually rests heavily on the performance of the quarterback.

Despite enjoying what most Chicago Bears fans would classify as a successful rookie season in 2024, Caleb Williams will begin the 2025 season with as much pressure as any starting QB in the NFL. I've said many times before that it comes with the territory of being the first overall pick, but it's more complicated than that for Williams.

First, he's already playing in the shadow of his 2024 draft classmate, Jayden Daniels. Second, the offseason report of Williams and his father trying to manipulate their way out of Chicago before the NFL Draft was a bad look. Finally, every move the Bears made this offseason was for and about Williams.

If he fails, the entire organization fails. And it's not just one season that this team will be set back; it's for years to come.

So, yes, boom-or-bust is a perfect way to describe the 2025 Chicago Bears.

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

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