This offseason was all about how great the Chicago Bears were and the future looking bright for this team.
It featured plenty of moments that got everyone excited to see how they would follow up on their impressive 2025 season in the new year. While there weren't many sexy moves made by the Bears, there were enough to suggest that the 2026 campaign is going to be another good one despite having the NFL's toughest schedule.
There were clear winners and losers in the Bears' offseason, and they can be examined closely as the 2026 calendar year begins. Here's a look at three winners and two losers from Chicago during an important offseason for them.
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB
From becoming a co-owner of a soccer team to trademarking "Iceman" to even getting on the cover of Madden 27, Williams feels like the biggest winner out of Chicago this offseason. Everything seemed to have gone right for the young quarterback off the field, but he still thrived at OTAs with more crazy passes that just add to the hype for 2026.
Williams is entering his second season in head coach Ben Johnson's offense, so it feels as though he is about to have another step up in a year in Chicago. With talks of being one of the best players in the NFL, Williams might be in the conversation for MVP this upcoming season.
Loser: Dennis Allen, Defensive Coordinator
Sure, Allen was able to get some nice replacements for players who are gone, including Coby Bryant, Devin Bush, and first-round pick Dillon Thieneman. The problem is that Allen got nothing with his struggling pass rush aside from a re-signed Daniel Hardy.
Chicago's defense doesn't feel like it's improved enough for fans to be overly excited about the same unit that struggled with getting a consistent pass rush in 2025. More pressure is on Allen to get guys like Austin Booker or Dayo Odeyingbo to step up and play well. Otherwise, there might have to be a legitimate conversation about the defensive coordinator role next offseason.
Winner: Luther Burden III, WR
Talking about buzz that has grown louder than ever. How about Burden and the way he played in OTAs? There was no player on the Bears who got more hype around him than Burden did, as he even had his head coach buying into it.
DJ Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills earlier this offseason for Burden to get his time in the spotlight in 2026. Bears fans should be prepared for a breakout season unlike any that has been seen in the Windy City for a long time, as Burden is about to have a monster year.
Loser: Roschon Johnson, RB
D'Andre Swift was supposed to get traded or released in the offseason, and that didn't happen. The Bears added two running backs in the backfield to compete for the RB3 job. To top it off, every article had Johnson as a clear-cut candidate to be released at training camp.
Last season, Johnson had just two carries and was a non-factor with Swift and Kyle Monangai playing well in the backfield. It appears that training camp looks to be the end for Johnson as he might go from backup to begin 2025 to not even making the 53-man roster in a year.
Read more: Chicago Bears might see one position group lose its safety net
Winner: Ben Johnson, Head Coach
Even though Ben Johnson wants to move on from the 2025 season, everyone was still praising the head coach for what he did in just his first year on the job. He led the Bears to an 11-6 record, winning the NFC North, and won a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.
This offseason, Johnson continued his run of success by adding more future players on offense and putting an emphasis on setting the foundation for the unit. It was a clear sign that Johnson is all about building a dominant offense in Chicago for the next five to 10 years.
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