The offseason is officially over and the Chicago Bears can now get ready for the 2026 regular season.
It wasn't the most memorable offseason for the Bears, as there was more celebration about the previous season and less focus on making big moves. Outside of a few signings and the DJ Moore trade, it was a relatively quiet period for the team.
Still, some clear winners and losers emerged over the last seven months. Here's a look at everyone who did well and here's who didn't.
Winners and losers from Bears' 2026 offseason
Winner: Ben Johnson, HC
Johnson was the bell of the ball this offseason for the Bears after a successful 11-6 first season with them. He received plenty of praise for his work, but the focus quickly shifted to the 2026 season, where he's already showing strong progress with the team. The young players are developing well, and the team looks like it will be good again because of Johnson's work.
Loser: Ryan Poles, GM
It just didn't feel like the strongest offseason for Poles and left a lot to be desired. Signing Coby Bryant and Devin Bush were nice, and drafting guys like Dillon Thieneman, Zavion Thomas, and Jordan van den Berg will hopefully work out for the Bears. The fanbase wanted Poles to go all out and bring in someone like Maxx Crosby to add some excitement, but that didn't happen. With a lack of talent added to the defensive line and questions about the wide receivers, Poles didn't do more than he could have done.
Winner: Colston Loveland, TE
Loveland is a great talent and has been since last year's Cincinnati Bengals game. His offseason hype grew, and training camp made him look even better. There's no doubt Loveland is going to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL and will be for a very long time.
Loser: Kyler Gordon, CB
Someday, it's going to be nice not to include Gordon as a loser in any of these articles, but the trend continues. Without making an appearance at OTAs, training camp, and the preseason, there is not much hope that Gordon's soft-tissue injury is going to get any better. It feels like the Bears are hovering over the cord to pull on Gordon and move on from him.
Winner: Jordan van den Berg, DT
Of the rookies in the Bears' 2026 draft class, van den Berg did the most with his team stock this season. Gervon Dexter Sr. got traded because the sixth-round pick rookie looks like he could be a great player in this league. Whether that turns out to be the case after a terrific training camp and preseason remains a question.
Loser: Dennis Allen, DC
Allen's defensive unit didn't get much better and has now lost some key pieces at the start of the year. Gordon, Shemar Turner, and Coby Bryant are some of the big names who are injured. It's a pressure year for Allen, who really needs to avoid another bottom-10 finish for the defense, or a new defensive coordinator might have to be hired.
Read more: Cole Kmet is showing Bears rookie 'the right way' to do things in NFL
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB
Williams had quite an offseason, landing on the Madden cover and buying a soccer team. More importantly, though, he improved as a quarterback and is showing more leadership in a big year for him. There are MVP aspirations for Williams, and he showed over the last seven months that he's ready for that moment.
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