The Chicago Bears won the NFC North divisional title last season with a 11-6 record in the regular season. Chicago was the number two seed in the NFC. The Bears beat the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round, but they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round in overtime at home. The Bears and head coach Ben Johnson know that they are starting from zero in 2026.
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Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; in Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during an NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Well, this will be his second season as the head coach for Chicago and quarterback Caleb Williams will be entering his third season in the NFL. During his second NFL season, he completed 58.1% of his passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Williams also rushed for 388 yards on 77 carries and three touchdowns, along with averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He is only 24 years old and still has a lot more room to grow as a quarterback in this league.
NFL Analyst Believes That the Chicago Bears Can Be Great in 2026 Because of Quarterback Ben Johnson
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Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks on against the Los Angeles Rams during overtime of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Bryon DeArdo of CBSSports.com wrote about reason for optimism for each NFL team after free agency and the NFL Draft. For Chicago, DeArdo said,
“Emerging duo of Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson Chicago appears to have found its franchise quarterback in Williams. Chicago may also have its longterm coach in Johnson, who led the Bears to a surprising division title and a playoff win during his first season in the Windy City. Williams is coming off a breakout 2025 season that saw him orchestrate several game-winning drives that included throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in the Bears’ wild-card playoff win over the Packers. In an effort to build upon last year’s success, the Bears added several notable pieces to a defense that finished just 23rd in the NFL in points allowed. Among those pieces were linebackerDevin Bush, safetyCoby Bryantand fellow safetyDillon Thienemanwith the 25th overall pick. They also got Williams another pass-catcher in the draft in former Stanford tight endSam Roush. “
Chicago is going to be one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl next season. The Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Detroit Lions will be some of the teams that can reach the Super Bowl from the NFC next season as well. The Bears are only getting started. They can no doubt win a Super Bowl with Johnson as head coach and Williams as its quarterback here.
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