All the buzz around the Chicago Bears entering training camp has centered on the potential of second-year wide receiver Luther Burden III and how great he could be in 2026.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson himself admitted to buying into the hype around Burden, and so did everyone else in the media. Almost every breakout candidate article has included the former second-round pick, which makes sense and is to be expected.
There are five other Bears players poised to have breakout seasons in Chicago this season. Here's a look at the list of breakout candidates not named Luther Burden III.
5 breakout candidates on the Bears in 2026 (besides Luther Burden III)
Jahdae Walker, WR
How about starting this list with another young second-year wide receiver who could be a breakout candidate? Walker didn't really get a chance to play until late in the season with Rome Odunze's foot injury, but Walker caught two touchdowns in the last three weeks, including the game-tying score in the thrilling Week 16 win over the Green Bay Packers. It's going to be a battle for him at WR3 against Kalif Raymond and rookie Zavion Thomas, but Walker might raise some eyebrows this season.
D'Marco Jackson, LB
Injuries forced Jackson into action, and that might have been a good thing for the Bears, as he proved to be a valuable piece to this defense. He finished with 43 tackles and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week late in the season. Jackson is back on a new contract, and while he may not start, he will be heavily in the rotation and can prove himself as the man who could replace T.J. Edwards if he gets cut or traded next offseason.
Austin Booker, DE
Booker came back in the second half of the 2025 season with vengeance, racking up 29 pressures, 16 hurries, 12 quarterback hits, and 4.5 sacks in 10 games after returning from injury. Now he is competing with Dayo Odeyingbo for the starting edge rusher job opposite Montez Sweat. In Year 3, Booker might finally prove to be the team's future pass-rushing star.
Josh Blackwell, CB
There's a sneaky feeling that Kyler Gordon won't be 100% entering 2026, which might leave the door open for Blackwell to get some playing time. Every Bears fan knows Blackwell as one of the top special teams aces, but he has never really had a chance to shine in the secondary. If he works as hard as he does on special teams, this is a dark-horse pick to be a breakout candidate on the Bears in 2026.
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Kyle Monangai, RB
783 rushing yards in a rookie season as a seventh-round pick might already be a breakout performance, but it feels like Monangai is only scratching the surface of how great he can be. If it wasn't for him splitting carries with D'Andre Swift, Monangai would have easily rushed for over 1,000 yards. Maybe he can still do it in 2026 even if he's not the main workhorse in the backfield?
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