ESPN calls out Bears in bold NFC North offseason overreaction

"Chicago's the key to making this happen, but it still seems a little bit too soon with its current roster," Graziano wrote. "The Bears play 10 games against teams that made last season's playoffs, plus games against the Cowboys and Bengals, who should be improved. Tough schedule, tough division. And even if the Bears do break through this year, their success is likely to come at the expense of at least one of their division rivals."

Graziano's point is a good one. The Bears have a first-time head coach leading a second-year quarterback whose cast of critical skill players includes a second-year wideout, Rome Odunze, and two rookies, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden. A successful season for Chicago could still be one that falls short of the playoffs.

However, that doesn't mean the Bears should be ruled out completely. The Detroit Lions are in a massive season of transition within their coaching staff, and they confirmed on Saturday that defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike will be lost for the season with a torn ACL. The Lions, while still loaded, aren't as bulletproof as they were in 2024.

The Green Bay Packers aren't nearly as intimidating as they once were, largely because quarterback Jordan Love is a far cry from the days of dominance led by Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. The Packers aren't the threat they once were.

And the Minnesota Vikings, while certainly improved after a flurry of respectable offseason decisions, are rolling out J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback. McCarthy missed his rookie season with a knee injury and remains a complete mystery moving forward. Remember: Sam Darnold had a breakout season in 2024; he was a big reason why the Vikings won 14 games.

Indeed, the Chicago Bears are a young and generally unproven team. But there's good reason for the excitement and buzz that Ben Johnson has brought to Halas Hall. And while the Bears may have the worst odds of the NFC North teams to make the playoffs, that could change quickly if Johnson and Caleb Williams get off to a hot start in 2025.