CLEVELAND, Ohio — As the 2025 NFL season draws closer for the Browns, it’s time to look at what each of the teams they will play this season has changed ahead of the season.
I will provide these opponent breakdowns over the next several weeks leading up to the start of the season as we look at the biggest addition, subtraction, best draft pick and what they all mean for when they play the Browns.
Next up in our series is the Browns’ Week 15 opponent: the Chicago Bears.
Despite drafting Caleb Williams first overall, the Bears struggled through a 5-12 season in 2024, costing head coach Matt Eberflus his job. The poor season pushed the Bears to do an aggressive offensive overhaul, both on the sideline and on the field.
Will that help unlock the elite potential of Williams?
Here is a look at the Bears offseason.
Check out links to earlier editions of this series at the bottom of this post.
Biggest addition: Head coach Ben Johnson.
The Bears had the fewest yards in the NFL last season and allowed Williams to get sacked a league-high 68 times. They tried to solve the latter by trading for veteran guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney and signing center Drew Dalman.
But no addition for Chicago is more significant than hiring the Lions great offensive coordinator as its new head coach.
In his three seasons in Detroit, the Lions finished in the top 10 in scoring all three years, including having the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense in 2024. Johnson’s creativity made the Lions an incredibly difficult team to slow down over the past few seasons. It’ll be interesting to see if he can bring that magic with him to Chicago.
Biggest subtraction: WR Keenan Allen.
Chicago bolstered its skill positions in the draft which I will get to shortly. As a result of using two early picks on offensive weapons, it made Allen expendable, and he re-joined the Chargers.
Allen, who turned 33 in April, caught 70 passes from Williams for 744 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns last season.
While not the star he was earlier in his career, Allen was a nice safety blanket for Williams. But it does give more opportunities for second-year receiver Rome Odunze opposite DJ Moore.
Best draft pick: WR Luther Burden III.
The Bears attacked their draft the same way they did free agency: by targeting the offense. They drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland 10th overall.
29 picks later, they made my favorite pick of their draft by selecting the electrifying Burden from Missouri. He was at one point expected to be a top 10 pick but he took a step back in 2024.
That said, Burden is a player who can be used all over the field and someone you manufacture touches for. That skillset makes him an intriguing player for Ben Johnson to work with.
What it means in their matchup with the Browns
On paper, the Bears have the talent to have a breakout 2025 season and become a factor in the NFC Wild Card race. But it’s all contingent on the step Williams takes as a quarterback. Will he close the gap on fellow first-round QBs Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Drake Maye?
What’s clear is that he should have everything he needs around him to be successful. He now has one of the best offensive minds in the NFL as his head coach and a much better offensive line.
The pressure is all on Williams to go perform. We’ll know when the Browns go to Chicago in Week 15 whether Williams is living up to that first pick status or if all the work the Bears have done to revamp their offense has gone for naught.
Their improvements on the offensive line will likely be the biggest key to their matchup with the Browns. Cleveland’s defensive line remains the strength of its team and even though Williams is an outstanding scrambler, he will have to be on alert for Myles Garrett and company every time he throws.
Catch up on the series
Cincinnati Bengals, Weeks 1 and 18
Baltimore Ravens, Weeks 2 and 11
Green Bay Packers, Week 3
Detroit Lions, Week 4
Minnesota Vikings, Week 5
Pittsburgh Steelers, Weeks 6 and 17
Miami Dolphins, Week 7
New England Patriots, Week 8
New York Jets, Week 10
Las Vegas Raiders, Week 12
San Francisco 49ers, Week 13
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