One of the harsh realities Chicago Bears fans had to face was that, even though the team was so good, they struggled to limit yards on defense.
Chicago was ranked 29th in total defense, allowing 361.8 yards per game despite leading the NFL with 33 takeaways. With so many pending changes that could occur for the secondary with four free agents about to be available for the other 31 teams to sign, there are some questions about what that unit is going to look like in 2026.
Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox went through each NFL team's worst-case scenario in the offseason. For the Bears, that would be the secondary seeing a significant drop-off from 2025, with the pending free agents.
"The reality is that the Bears' defense was never good enough to win a Super Bowl in 2025. It was great at creating takeaways and led the league in that category. However, it was bad overall, ranking 29th in yards per carry allowed and 28th in net yards per pass attempt allowed. The Bears need to improve all three levels of their defense; failing to do so would be detrimental. What would be even worse is watching some of those turnover creators walk without finding upgrades. Safety Kevin Byard III, cornerback Nashon Wright, and safety Jaquan Brisker are among Chicago's list of impending free agents. Those three combined for 13 of the Bears' 23 interceptions. The Bears can't bank on their defense being a turnover machine again in 2026. They certainly can't afford to exit the offseason without a secondary capable of generating takeaways."
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The only real certainty for the Bears is that Byard should be back for the 2026 season. Bears general manager Ryan Poles only mentioned Byard as the one pending free agent he would like back on the team.
There are too many questions about Brisker, as he was inconsistent in his play during the 2025 season. Wright had a great season, but the Bears might be outpriced even to try to bring him back.
Another option is C.J. Gardner-Johnson, potentially bringing him back. Gardner-Johnson would be a cheaper option, but the Bears want to get younger in the secondary eventually.
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This was a defensive unit ranked 22nd in pass defense, allowing 227.2 yards per game last season, so there must be improvement there if the Bears have any shot of making their first Super Bowl in over 40 years.