The Chicago Bears have quickly turned into one of the more interesting teams in football, as year one of the Ben Johnson era brought results that not many teams expected. Suddenly among the best teams in the league, the Bears surely have the Super Bowl on their minds.
And while it's not been a perfect offseason, it's been an active one. The team saw a bit of an overhaul of the defense this offseason, and with the offense largely already in place, their job could get easier in 2026 and beyond.
Chicago is also primed to see a few players enjoy the best seasons of their careers in 2026. Let's dive into the three most obvious here.
3 Chicago Bears players primed to enjoy career-best seasons in 2026
Luther Burden, WR
Luther Burden had quite the rookie season in 2025, finishing with 47 receptions for 652 yards and two touchdowns. While he didn't get into the end zone much, we did see him really break out near the end of his first campaign.
Across the first seven games of the season, Burden caught just 13 passes for 171 yards, which averages out to a 32 -reception, 415-yard season over a 17-game sample.
However, his final eight games saw him haul in 34 receptions for 481 yards, which averages out to a 72-reception, 1,022-yard season over a full 17 games. It's quite obvious that Burden's usage was heading in the right direction as his rookie season progressed, and with DJ Moore now on the Buffalo Bills, the runway is clear for Burden to emerge as Caleb Williams' top target at the position.
Sure, it's not hard for a second-year player to enjoy a stronger year two than year one, but it's also still worth talking about - Burden is a star in the making and is going to be a go-to target for Williams for years to come.
Caleb Williams, QB
Speaking of Williams, he's on this list as well. While his completion percentage dipped from 2024 into 2025, he did see an improvement in all of the following statistics:
-Yards
-Touchdown passes
-Touchdown percentage
-Passing first downs
-Success rate
-Yards per attempt
-Yards per completion
-Yards per game
-Passer rating
-QBR
-Sack percentage
There's even more than that, but Williams was simply outstanding in year two. He did still make some erratic throws from time to time, and the Bears' pass-catchers were far from perfect, but his ascension in year one with Johnson really sets the stage for an explosive year three.
It's also obvious that Williams has a stronger understanding of the offense, which is also not much of a surprise, as that natural progression that stems from experience is true for many players across the NFL.
Devin Bush, LB
Devin Bush has all the talent in the world, but it really never came together until the 2025 season with the Cleveland Browns, where he had a career-best season, finishing with three interceptions, eight defended passes, 125 total tackles, and seven tackles for loss.
He also enjoyed the best coverage season of his career, allowing an opposing passer rating of 64.2, according to Pro Football Reference. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen also tasks his linebackers with coverage duties frequently, and this matches up with Bush having a stellar coverage season in 2025.
PFF also noted that Bush allowed a 69.3 passer rating in coverage, so his emergence in this category tracks. We could also reasonably assume that Bush is going to see the field more often, too, given his fit with the defense.
Read more: Ben Johnson just dropped Bears training camp plot twist that'll repeat 2025 plan
Bush has never played 900 snaps in a season before, but he's eclipsed the 800-snap count two times. With the veteran being a strong fit for the defense, he could fill up the stat sheet in another breakout campaign, building on his 2025 progress.
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