The Chicago Bears had a historic season this year, setting both an NFL record in 4th quarter comebacks and a QB passing yards franchise record.
They finished with an 11-6 regular season record and made the playoffs as the NFC’s second seed.
They were unfortunately eliminated from the playoffs on Jan 18 in an overtime Divisional round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
With the Bears down 10-17, Caleb Williams (QB) threw a Hail Mary to Cole Kmet (TE) on 4th down to send the game into OT.
Unfortunately, during overtime, Caleb Williams threw a devastating interception caught by Rams strong safety (SS), Kamren Curl.
Following this, the Rams reached field goal range and sealed the game.
Head Coach Ben Johnson (HC) is largely given credit for this season, being hired just this year and replacing Matt Eberfus, who was later picked up (and eventually fired) by the Dallas Cowboys.
Last year, Chicago had a record of 5-12, and with this season’s massive turnaround, Johnson was a contender for Coach of the Year.
One of the keys to Johnson’s success was guiding and protecting the talent of former 1st overall pick, Caleb Williams (QB).
Williams completed his season as the single-season leader in passing yards in Chicago Bears history, with 3942 passing yards, cementing him in Chicago history and breaking Jay Cutler’s old record of 3,666 yards.
The Bears’ left guard (LG) Joe Thuney was the leader of the offensive line, winning the AP Protector of the Year award.
The Bears’ general manager (GM), Ryan Poles, has been very efficient in his drafting, with a focus on giving Caleb Williams optimal passing options.
Colston Loveland (TE) was the Bears first round pick in 2025, finishing his rookie season with 58 receptions, 713 yards, and 6 touchdowns.
Loveland also earned the week nine offensive player of the week award, following a 118-yard, 2-touchdown performance, including a game-winning touchdown in a 47-42 win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Luther Burden III (WR) was their second-round pick, finishing his rookie season with 2TD receptions and 652 receiving yards.
His best game of the season came in week 17 versus the 49ers, where he put up 8 catches for 138 yards and a TD.
A surprise for the season was seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai, who put up 783 rushing yards and 5 TDs, including a 176-yard game against the Bengals.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears’ aggressive defense had the most turnovers in the league this year, forcing 32 takeaways.
The Chicago offense finished as the ninth-best point-scorers, and also topped the NFL 4th-quarter comeback record, with 7 wins trailing in the fourth quarter.
After starting the season 0-2, the Bears went on a 9-1 run in the middle of the season.
However, the Bears’ best two wins of the year came against their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
In the first win (which came in week 16), Caleb Williams led the comeback from down 6-16 in the 4th quarter.
With an onside kick and a TD pass to rookie Jahdae Walker, they sent the game into OT.
The Bears’ defense forced a fumble, and Williams immediately threw a 46-yard TD pass to DJ Moore to win the game.
This pass won the AP Moment of the Year award at the NFL Honors.
Their second win against the Packers came in the Wildcard round of the playoffs, where the Bears created yet another miracle out of thin air. They were losing 21-3 in the 4th quarter and came back to win the game, 31-27.
Going into the 2026 offseason, the Bears are looking to improve their pass-rush and to adjust contracts to save money for new players.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be on April 23, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the Bears have the 25th overall pick.
Bear down!
