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Chicago Bears land in middle tier of latest 2025 NFL training camp power rankings

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 8:52 PM ET

The Chicago Bears are going through the expected growing pains that come along with learning a new offense in the early stages of 2025 training camp. And when that new offense has as many wrinkles as Ben Johnson's? Yeah, it's going to take some time.

With every negative Caleb Williams practice report comes a bit more deterioration in the confidence analysts have for the Bears in 2025. But those who've been in the business long enough, and who aren't looking for their two minutes of social-media fame, know that training camp is a long and ongoing process. It will take a few weeks before Williams and the offense begin to click, and even then, we won't see an oiled machine until the regular season.

It's also why 2025 NFL Power Rankings at this time of year don't know what to do with the Bears. They're a team that could go either way. Yes, the Chicago Bears could be a playoff team. And, yes, they could be picking in the top five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Until then, they're being labeled as a middle-of-the-pack team as training camp unfolds.

The latest NFL Power Rankings from Fox Sports have the Bears at No. 17, one spot behind the Denver Broncos and one ahead of the San Francisco 49ers.

"The Bears did everything they could this offseason to make sure they’d get the most out of franchise quarterback Caleb Williams," Fox Sports' Ralph Vacchiano wrote. "They hired Ben Johnson, the offensive genius from Detroit. They spent big to completely revamp their offensive line. They drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round. They still have some defensive issues that could hurt them. But their season will really be about one thing: Is Williams as good as they think he is, or not?"

That's kind of stating the obvious, isn't it? And can't that be said about a lot of teams' young QBs?

Caleb Williams has been in the crosshairs of content creators due to his high-profile status and the Bears' horrendous quarterback history. If Williams fails, good god... it will be a relentless onslaught of Chicago Bears bashing that will be difficult to tolerate, even for the most patient Bears fan.

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

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