No team in the NFL has received more hype for the work they have done in the offseason than the Chicago Bears. Not everyone feels that it is worthy of giving them high marks.
Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport released his power rankings of the NFL going into training camp. Davenport isn't too high on the Bears with the ranking at 19, but still feels there's potential for a good season.
"The Bears deserve offseason buzz. They hired Ben Johnson, an innovative offensive play-caller and arguably the best head coaching candidate from this year's cycle. His staff can't be worse than the previous regime. In 2024, Chicago's offense finished with the fifth-fewest points and the fewest yards.
Caleb Williams had a decent rookie campaign, considering the circumstances. He finished with 3,541 passing yards (17th) and 20 touchdowns (tied for 15th) despite losing his head coach and offensive coordinator in November. Yet he was 24th in passer rating (87.8) and 31st in QBR (46.7).
Under Johnson, Williams will play in a well-designed system, and the Bears could field a prolific offense. Chicago may go from worst to first in the NFC North."
Can Bears overachieve and break the four-year playoff drought?
Last year was a wash for Williams' rookie season. Offensive line trouble, too many yards given up on defense, and coaching changes caused absolute chaos in Chicago.
Johnson brings in much-needed stability to a franchise that has been getting used to losing for too long. He has repaired the offensive and defensive lines while adding young talent on offense to give Williams more weapons.
The biggest obstacle for Johnson is to ensure his quarterback can withstand the tough coaching and improve as a passer. No more of Williams taking unnecessary sacks, and he must start making quicker decisions in Johnson's more robust, creative offense.
Read more: It's not even training camp and one Bears rookie is being overlooked in 2025
As everyone has been stating, no more excuses. The Bears must put it all together and start winning more games. For a lot of experts, seven to 10 wins would be a good start in the Johnson era. Chicago is expecting more and demands a better team.