The 2026 offseason was an important one for the Chicago Bears as they needed to hit on their moves to get them over the hump to the Super Bowl after one drastic year of improvement.
It turned out that the Bears were a bit quieter than fans had hoped as they didn't get their elite edge rusher, but did add some key players like Coby Bryant, Devin Bush, and Dillon Thieneman. CBS Sports writer Zachary Pereles used one word to describe every NFC team's biggest improvement: "measured," with Bryant exemplifying it best.
"The Bears could have tried to really load up after their breakthrough 2025 season. They smartly opted not to. Instead, they worked around financial hurdles and other unexpected challenges (Drew Dalman's retirement) while still making smart improvements.
Bryant is an under-appreciated, versatile safety who can close in a hurry, lower the boom, and give you some back-end ball production (seven interceptions over the last two years) as well. He and first-round rookie Dillon Thieneman form a solid duo. Devin Bush is a nice mid-level signing to replace Tremaine Edmunds. Even the DJ Moore trade generated a solid return. The Bears can bank on mostly internal improvements but also some steady veteran presences added from the outside, too."
Bears fans were hoping for more than just "measured"
If the average Bears fan was asked the one word they wanted to hear about the team's offseason back in February, they would most likely say something along the lines of "bold" or "risky." That would mean the team took some chances to ensure that they would be back in the Super Bowl.
Adding players like Bryant, Bush, and Thieneman was huge for the team, but not enough to scare people away from the Bears' defense. An elite edge rusher like Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson would have added some juice to a unit that was one of the worst in the NFL in pressuring the quarterback and allowing yards.
In reality, the Bears were probably smart not to go all in like that. They were already facing some salary cap constraints going into the offseason, and didn't want to cut, trade, and restructure every player to make it happen.
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Instead, Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson are trusting their process and rolling with the players who helped them succeed in 2025. Bears fans hope this is the way to go, as they have been hungry for over four decades for a Super Bowl title and can almost taste it now.
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