Around the NFC North: Bears 2026 Season in Review
The Bears had a great season....right?
By Mike Price
The Bears had their best season in more than a decade. They have one of the best rising offensive coaches in the game at head coach and a QB with a rabbit ear shoved up his ass. They beat the Packers twice and took them to the brink in a third game. You'll never guess what angle I'm going to go with here.
Offense
The off-season plan was to invest an insane amount in the o-line and trust Ben Johnson to be able to make the offense go with a ton of top-50 picks invested in receivers and the supposed best prospect in years at QB. That plan worked...enough.
That doesn't mean the Bears had a great offense. They were good - 8th in EPA (the Packers were 4th, and the Lions were 9th). But they were a team that good, disciplined defenses could take care of.
A typical Bears game went like this: Caleb Williams misses a bunch of passes in the first half, and the Bears fall double digits behind as his completion percentage chills below 50%. Meanwhile, the run game is picking up 3 or 4 yards a clip, and they're sticking with it. Running on second or third and long because they're so comfortable going on fourth down.
Eventually, they convert a key fourth down, probably after a crucial interception on defense, and Caleb Williams makes the best play you've ever seen (to push his completion percentage to something like 52%) and somehow they're back in the game and have over 300 yards on offense. They have more rush yards in the game than your team will have in any single game this season, and half their pass yards came from 3 weird plays.
It's all weird, and I couldn't tell you how many times I talked about them being lucky last year, but it worked well enough to be the best Bears offense possibly ever.
I don't know if this plan is going to keep working in 2026, and I sure as hell hope not, but I've talked so much shit about it, and then the Packers lost to it twice in a row so I'm going to throw my hands up and hope the football gods want ethical football next year.
Defense
The defense just wasn't good. 21st in EPA, and that's with an ungodly number of interceptions. Take away the interceptions, and they're a bottom-five defense. It was a personnel problem.
Dennis Allen wants to run a press-man heavy defense and the team's top corners were either hurt or didn't play well for most of the season. It doesn't help that their big-money defensive free agent, Dayo Odeyingbo, was the 106th-ranked edge rusher by PFF, the two starting d-tackles both ranked around 75th, and Montez Sweat was extremely up and down. Turns out if you can't generate any pressure NFL wide receivers will get open eventually.
We haven't talked about the linebackers yet, so it's worth mentioning they were also bad. The Bears will almost certainly dump Tremaine Edmunds, which would save them $15mm on the cap. Sadly, former Badger TJ Edwards, who was never fats to begin with, may just not be up for NFL defense anymore.
Here's the problem: Dennis Allen is one of the best coordinators in the NFL. He will figure it out. In fact, the Bears defense performed better than almost anyone else against the Rams in the playoffs and shut the Packers offense down in the second half. If he has a healthy secondary for a full year and gets one pass rusher to play well they'll be a top 12-15 defense.
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Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved from Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.
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Comments (22)
BuckyBadger
February 24, 2026 at 10:09 am
Bears had their lucky season they are allotted once a decade. They seem to have them once every 10 years than return back to form. Saw this back in 2018 with Bisky, had a year with Cutler in 2010 and you can go back to Sexy Rexy in 2006. They will regress back to their normal below average selves.
As stated here the defense was not very good at all. They lived on INTs and that is something that is nearly impossible to maintain. INTs tend to be based more on lucky circumstance than a skilled defense. Caleb isn't a consistent passer. He could improve with another year under Johnson but that is far from guaranteed. Even with the talent around him he struggled a lot. Can't rely on rallying at the end because those streaks come to an end. The team won on catching opponents at the right time and lucky bounces of the ball.
Bearmeat
February 25, 2026 at 12:47 am
100%
The Bears will regress next year. There is a strong case for them to finish below .500 and miss the playoffs, as they should have this year.
TarynsEyes
February 24, 2026 at 10:16 am
So, the Bears' offense and defense aren't good. What does that say about the Packers? Simply put, via the words of Gene Hackman in The Replacements, they need 'heart,' and heart is something the Packers don't have and haven't had since Rodgers left. Deny all you want, but Rodgers never went quietly to the sideline when players played like wimps. Sure, he missed at times pointing a finger at himself, but he was usually right where/when he did, and that included MLF and McCarthy. This team has no true leader on or off the field. They do, however, adore mediocre play and a QB who is loved more for his name than his actual leadership, which is something Rodgers didn't need to be taught from Favre, and Love couldn't learn from Rodgers.
Diss the Bears all you want in articles, but you cannot deny that they kicked us in the arse, as bad as one thinks they are.
Guam
February 24, 2026 at 11:37 am
Rodgers in his prime was a good leader. Late in his career he turned into a diva and was the antithesis of a leader.
TarynsEyes
February 24, 2026 at 12:02 pm
So, McCarthy becoming a predictable playcaller and MLF's safe play calling had nothing to do with thinking Rodgers was more of a diva than he was all along? Rodgers never really changed during his career, diva-wise; it was easier and willingly overlooked because of the earlier success. Losing always turns a freckle into a wart. Many here are warthogs when it comes to Rodgers.
When Rodgers left, I wished him nothing, neither good nor bad luck, because he isn't a Packer anymore, but to denigrate him as a whole because he left is disingenuous. Blaming him for MLF and Gute's failures is BS, especially since the same issues have persisted since he departed.
All players have a diva in them, some more than others, with some hurting the team because of it. Rodgers wanted the best for GB, and the FO fought him. The FO was wrong then and is proving to be wrong still yearly after Rodgers.
jont
February 24, 2026 at 12:41 pm
👍
Guam
February 24, 2026 at 02:13 pm
WOW! You have a serious Rodgers issue don't you?
We disagree about Rodgers gradual development into a diva. I saw little of that in him originally but certainly saw more as he became an established star. His passive - aggressive behavior became much more pronounced later in his career.
I said nothing about denigrating him when he and the Packers parted company or blaming him for the shortcomings of Gute and LaFleur. Don't put words in my mouth.
Later in his career Rodgers wanted what was best for Rodgers, Green Bay be damned. If you really believe Randell Cobb and Alan Lazard were the best WRs for the Packers, you truly have a Rodgers problem.
TarynsEyes
February 24, 2026 at 02:54 pm
The diva in Rodgers was covered up by the 'chip on the shoulder' mantra. This isn't to say he wasn't upset by his drafting spot, but he was who he was, passive-aggressive from the start.
The denigration I speak about from you is how easily he is blamed for everything because he didn't kneel to the FO.
You can't ignore what you know a person to be while he makes you happy and then criticize him for what he was when he doesn't. If you didn't see it in him early, you have yourself to blame, not him. We thought he was a great QB until the denial ran out.
Guam
February 24, 2026 at 05:01 pm
You extrapolate excessively from a very small foundation. I said Rodgers wasn't a good leader late in his career. That is hardly blaming him for everything. And that is not accusing him of not kneeling to the front office. My issue with Rodgers leadership has more to do with a personal style that was unwilling to directly discuss issues and preferred to hide behind "smartest guy in the room" snide comments in the media. That is the opposite of good leadership.
You seem to believe you know all about Rodgers' psyche from the earliest stage of his career. Are you a medical professional with specialization in psychiatry? I claim no such knowledge. I have just observed the public change in Rodgers over his career and believe at some point his passive-aggressive bent became a detriment to the team.
I am a fan of the Green Bay Packers, not Aaron Rodgers or any other particular player. Players come and go, the Packers remain. My viewpoint is Packers based, not players based. Rodgers was an asset to the team for many years but at some point his issues overcame the talent and he became a detriment to the team. I don't care what Rodgers psyche was, is or will become - that is his life and his concern. I care about his impact on the Packers - when it was good and when it wasn't.
BuckyBadger
February 24, 2026 at 12:25 pm
They didn't kick anyone anywhere all year. They had the ball bounce there way at opportune times.
TarynsEyes
February 24, 2026 at 12:41 pm
You wouldn't describe it the same way if it were the Packers getting the bounce at opportune times. You'd likely say it was the results of a of great play.
jlc1
February 24, 2026 at 01:07 pm
Well if you know that, tell me what I am thinking right now.
TarynsEyes
February 24, 2026 at 01:28 pm
If I can actually tell you what you're thinking. I think I nailed it, right? LOL
NFLfan
February 24, 2026 at 10:17 am
My guess is the Bears will target improvement of their D-Line. (bank on it). Their goals are pretty easy to decipher as they are actively improving each position group-DL is next.
On the other hand, the Packer's modus operandi is difficult to ascertain as it relies on the whims of the GM-
perhaps another LVN, Hobbs, or J Morgan is in the works.
Brewcity_BearsFan
February 24, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Coming into last season, the Bears knew they needed to upgrade the O line. Williams was the most sacked QB in the league, and rarely had time to throw.
O line upgraded, and Williams began to show his potential.
I expect the same focus to be put on pass rush this off season. There have been rumblings about Maxx Crosby, and from what I have read, he certainly seems open to being a Bear.
Two first round picks is steep, and will likely also cost DJ Moore.
The Bears need Corners, safety (both starters are UFA), and linebackers. That is a lot of areas to address, and not a lot of money to do so.
But, if they get Crosby, (or Hendrickson who I have read is a possibility), to pair with Sweat, it will go a long way to improving the D as a whole.
jont
February 24, 2026 at 12:48 pm
You are what your record says you are.
That said, the Bears need more core improvement than any other 11-6 team I've seen. I don't know if 'regression to the mean' is the right phrase, but they won't get 23 picks next season and Caleb won't hit another series of miracle completions as he did late last year. Both defense and offense are average without those outlier elements.
I read some column that predicted a flip of their record to 6-11. I don't think it'll be that bad, but 9-8 or 8-9 seems likely to me.
Stinky Cheese
February 24, 2026 at 06:41 pm
Scary part is Da Bears are just getting started. The offense will be better in year 2. Deep down Packers fans know it.
Real Talk Ryan
February 24, 2026 at 08:31 pm
100% agree. I didn't think Packers fans are taking the bears seriously enough.
Starrbrite
February 24, 2026 at 07:19 pm
“Rabbit ear shove in his….” Ha-excellent!
Go Packers!!!
Real Talk Ryan
February 24, 2026 at 08:30 pm
The Bears are exactly where Green Bay was in the early 90s when they were just getting started with Holmgren running the show and Favre, the gunslinger coming into his own.
The Packers better start taking them seriously otherwise the rivalry is going to get ugly for Packers fans if it hasn't already over the past few games.
I don't have a good feeling about the direction the rivalry is going, that's for sure.
Bearmeat
February 25, 2026 at 12:48 am
Meh. Their underlying metrics were not good. They played against 6 backup QBs and won 7 games in the last 2 minutes while trailing. They had a historically lucky turnover season.
They’ll regress.
GBPfaninMO
February 25, 2026 at 12:57 pm
GB,under MLF,doesn't know how to close they showed that against Duh Bares.J Love throws 3 first half TD's & they still lose?