Nothing is ever a sure bet when it comes down to the Chicago Bears, but they might be worth the risk on placing some money on them if anyone is looking to collect a massive payday.
CBS Sports writer Tyler Sullivan shared his "five plus-money NFL playoff futures to make before training camp." Sullivan likes the idea of putting money on the Bears making the postseason, with Caesars Sportsbook offering odds of +165. A big reason is the moves the team made on the offensive line and through the NFL Draft.
"With those pieces in place, it's now up to Johnson to bring Williams to his highest potential, and Williams does appear to be a good scheme fit for how Johnson operates offensively. Specifically, Johnson and Williams both love play action. In Detroit, where Johnson was the offensive coordinator, the Lions ran play action at the highest rate in the NFL last season. Chicago's play-action rate ranked 30th, despite strong production from Williams.
This is merely a good example of how Johnson could tap into one of the more talented quarterback prospects we've seen come into the NFL in quite a while, which means the ceiling for Chicago is sky-high."
Bears could be the team to place bets on in 2025
Last year's expectations were high for the Bears as they were expected to turn things around with Caleb Williams as the franchise quarterback. It didn't even come close to that with 68 sacks allowed, the worst-ranked offense in the league, three different play callers, and two head coaches.
After the disastrous 5-12 record in 2024, the Bears went to work with hiring Ben Johnson as head coach first. The offseason saw the team trade for offensive guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as sign center Drew Dalman for the offensive line. On defense, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett were brought in to help with the defensive line.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles had an exceptional NFL Draft with four picks in the first two rounds. Those became Colston Loveland in the first round, and then the second round saw Luther Burden III, Shemar Turner, and Ozzy Trapilo.
The pieces are there on the roster for the Bears to make a surprising run for the postseason. One of the questions will be whether the other NFC North teams will live up to expectations, with each team having questions. The Vikings, with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, the Packers with their lack of depth in the secondary, and the Lions losing two coordinators.
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If there was a season to take a risk on the Bears with a bet, 2025 appears to be the time to do it.