Bears vs Lions
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The Chicago Bears lost 71-37 across their two matchup with the Detroit Lions in 2025.
The Chicago Bears are now at the top of the crop in their conference. One season after being the only team in the NFC North not to make the playoffs, they now head into 2026 as the reigning division winner. As a result, the Bears are now public enemy number one to the remaining teams in the North. And perhaps the Bears’ biggest competition just added a significant threat to their offense.
Isaiah Pacheco Stats
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco has recorded 2,537 rushing yards, 554 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns across his 51 career games played.
The Detroit Lions announced that they are signing formerSuper Bowl-winning running back Isaiah Pacheco to their team. Full details of his contract have yet to be revealed, but the Lions are bringing in the former Kansas City Chiefs toreplace David Montgomery’s role on the offense. Pacheco is a physically imposing weapon whose tough running style will be the new complement to Jahmyr Gibbs’ speedier approach.
This move was made to reestablish the toughness the Lions have become known for under head coach Dan Campbell. This was an element that the Lions lacked in crucial moments last year. However, this flaw never affected them when they played the Bears.
Chicago Bears Battles With the Detroit Lions Are Personal
Ben Johnson Detroit
GettyJohnson spent six total seasons with the Lions, starting in 2019 in an Offensive Quality Control capacity, before being elevated to Tight Ends Coach in 2020, and then offensive coordinator in 2022 until 2024.
Despite being the division leader, the Bears did not dominate their internal competition last year. During the regular season, they split with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings while losing both of their matchups to the Lions. Detroit, of course, has a personal vendetta against Chicago, given that the Bears poached their former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, to be their head coach.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown shared some trash talk onhis podcast following Johnson’s departure. St. Brown revealed that he had a phone conversation with Johnson, where he told him to prepare twice a year for the Lions to “mess” (for lack of better words) the Bears up. He said that Johnson rebutted with the same threat to him; however, a year later, St. Brown has won the first round.
The Lions embarrassed the Bears in their first matchup duringWeek 2 of the 2025 season. This 52-21 throttle came before the Bears really found their footing. However, theirWeek 18 affair perhaps spoke louder as the Lions had nothing to play for but pride and still managed to topple the Bears 19-16.
While the Bears might be entering 2026 in a better spot than years prior, but they still have something to prove, and of course, their eyes are on more than just winning the division.
The Bears Signed Former Lions Wide Receiver Kalif Raymond
Kalif Raymond Bears
GettyKalif Raymond recorded 3 catches for 52 yards in the Detroit Lions Week 18 matchup with the Chicago Bears.
The Lions aren’t the only team in the North looking to improve, of course. The Bears have been heavily active throughout the offseason, and their most recent move just poached one of Detroit’s mostversatile pieces.
NFL Network’sIan Rapoport announced that the Bears are signing return man and wide receiver Kalif Raymond to a one-year,$5.1 million contract.
Raymond spent the pastfive seasons in Detroit, recording 2,185 total receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. He was mainly used as a gadget player for the Lions and is expected to become a similarly useful weapon for the Bears. He is likely to be the team’s fourth receiver on the depth chart and main return option.
The Bears will continue to make roster moves in hopes of taking down Detroit for the first time in the Ben Johnson era and advancing their position into a true Super Bowl competitor.