Ben Johnson's first year taking over the Bears couldn't have gone much better, with Chicago going from three straight fourth-place finishes to a division title and an overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round. While the offense finished in the top 10 of scoring for just the fourth time in the last 30 years, the team's 11-6 record was built on a majority of fourth-quarter comebacks rather than a large number of decisive victories. Johnson's task in 2026 is moving his team from scrappy underdog to dangerous contender in a loaded conference.
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The Bears are third in odds to win their division despite finishing more than a win clear of every team last season. That could be because the Lions and Packers both had better point differentials despite the final standings, while the Vikings weren't close behind. History has suggested that piling up close wins isn't repeatable, so it may come down to a skill jump from Johnson in Year 2 to stave off regression.
The Bears hit their Over for the first time in seven years thanks in part to posting their best point differential since that incredible 12-4 season in Matt Nagy's first year as head coach. In that year, the Bears had a top-five defense, and finding success on that side of the ball once again will likely be key to standing out in a competitive division. If you want to wager on NFL futures, you have to check out the latest FanDuel promo code.
Chicago put itself in position to win close games by pairing a strong running attack (third in yards per rush) with an elite ability to avoid negative plays (first in interception rate, third in sack rate). The success the defense did have stemmed from generating turnovers, as Chicago led the league in interception rate on that side of the ball as well. It's unlikely the Bears will be tops in the league in interception rate for either unit in 2026 even if they remain strong in the category, and success must start with improving on bottom five finishes in yards allowed both per rush and pass play.
The Bears entered last season with an embarrassment of riches at pass catcher but traded D.J. Moore to the Bills and didn't replace him with a similar established talent. Despite the unit's overall struggles last year, the top of the depth chart on defense remains largely the same aside from safety, where the new-look position group will be led by first-round pick Dillon Thieneman with the team looking for answers at the other spot following the injury to Coby Bryant..
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