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Latest Chicago Bears season projection will have fans underwhelmed

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 7:19 PM ET

Chicago Bears fans are excited for the 2025 NFL season, especially after watching Ben Johnson dismantle the Buffalo Bills in preseason Week 2's 38-0 dismantling of the Buffalo Bills.

Sure, it's only the preseason. But after several years of disappointment and incompetence, Bears fans are ready for a new era led by a genius head coach and a quarterback with franchise-changing qualities.

As a result, expectations for the 2025 season are high. They're about as high as they can be for a team that's lived in the basement of the NFC North for the last few years. The Bears are a popular pick to lead the pack of teams capable of going from worst to first, but in a recent season projectio n from Bleacher Report, Chicago falls short of that goal.

Way short.

Instead of finishing first in the North, the Chicago Bears once again end up last.

"A five-win team from 2024 improves significantly but also experiences some transitional road bumps and again finishes last in the mighty NFC North," Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon predicted.

Perhaps the Bears will finish in last place in the NFC North this year. It wouldn't be a massive surprise, considering the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers are all projected to be potential NFC playoff teams.

But it wouldn't be that massive of a surprise to see Johnson, Williams, and the rest of this talented roster make a huge jump up the standings. This team feels like it's more than capable of 10 wins, which, barring a record-setting season in the NFC North, certainly wouldn't be a last-place record.

Indeed, Bears fans have been here before: High hopes that lead to steep letdowns. For as much as this year feels different, there have been many different years before, too.

Hopefully, Ben Johnson lives up to his reputation. Otherwise, Bears fans might never feel hope again.

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

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