The magic of the Chicago Bears' 2025 season has faded as the team focuses on moving forward into the new year.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have brought back most of the core players who helped the team to an 11-6 season, hoping to at least repeat it, if not improve on it. They added some young talent to help try to improve the roster, but this is a young team ready to explode onto the scene.
There are four players on the roster who are poised to have great seasons that no one is talking about. Who are those guys who can truly set the world on fire and have this franchise move to the next level of its evolution?
D'Marco Jackson, LB
With T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds among the other Bears linebackers who dealt with injuries last season, it was Jackson who stepped up and had a great season, leading to his new contract in the offseason. Jackson got a Pro Football Focus grade of 83.8 after racking up 43 tackles, three pass deflections, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, one sack, one interception, and one fumble recovery in 16 games. Going into the 2026 season, Jackson might end up starting for the team and has a chance to prove that he earned that spot in a big way.
Austin Booker, EDGE
Booker missed the first eight games of the season to injury, but ended up recording 12 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks, both of which are career highs for the second-year player. There is a ton of uncertainty at the edge rusher position, as Bears fans were hoping for an elite player to be brought in. If Booker can become the great pass rusher the team expects him to be, it could change the whole narrative of the defensive line.
Kyle Monangai, RB
Monangai is no secret anymore after rushing for 783 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season despite being a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Still, many outside of Chicago may not know him as well as the Windy City does. The Bears are hoping that Monangai keeps progressing to be the number one back in the future, and he has the potential.
Read more: 3 scenarios that would crush Bears' Super Bowl hopes in 2026
Jahdae Walker WR
Everyone is so focused on Luther Burden having a strong second season that it could be argued that Walker has a chance to make a bigger leap. Walker came on strong late in the season with two touchdowns in the last three games as he filled in for injuries to Rome Odunze. The Bears are looking for a new WR3, and Walker has a chance to beat out Kalif Raymond for that spot and prove that, once again, despite being an undrafted free agent, he belongs in the NFL.
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