The Chicago Bears went on a magical run in 2025 that the city has not seen in over a decade.
After going 11-6 and winning a playoff game, the Bears' fan base is hungry for more, as expectations have been set for them heading into the 2026 season. Former Bears running back Matt Forte spoke with Bears On SI's Pete Martuneac about what the new expectations are for the team as the new year begins.
"Winning one playoff game was cool, but winning the second one... would have been even better, but then also going to the Super Bowl and getting the win," Forte said to Martuneac .
Matt Forte is looking for improvement in 2026 from the Bears
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has this team on the right track as they made quite the turnaround from five wins to 11 last year. Led by starting quarterback Caleb Williams, the offense went from among the worst in the NFL to sixth in total offense.
Despite losing key players on offense, including DJ Moore, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and Drew Dalman, who retired, the offense should take a big step forward in 2026. Players like Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai are looking to have strong second seasons in the NFL.
The defense is where the Bears need to pay the most attention. They did sign Coby Bryant and Devin Bush to start with. It's going to be the 2026 NFL Draft where the rest of the defense will be fixed, with a focus on edge rusher, safety, and defensive tackle expected to be the picks.
Read more: Bears fans would be sick to their stomachs if they made this draft night trade
Everyone in Chicago, including Johnson himself, expects things to be very different in 2026. This Bears team needs to take a step forward and get themselves close to or into the Super Bowl to show the kind of progress every fan wants to see.