Last season, everyone piled on the Chicago Bears over all the close wins they had.
Many in the media early in the season did not believe the Bears were for real because they were barely beating teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants. By the end of the year, those questions started to fade a bit, with some still questioning how they played against good teams.
Senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno shared a new stat showing how teams performed last season against postseason teams. The Chicago Bears had the fourth-best winning percentage against playoff teams at 60%, going 3-2.
Bears showed in 2025 that they can compete against the best of them
It was late in the season when the Bears showed they were legit contenders after picking up wins over the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Granted, all three teams lost in the Wild Card round, but the Bears handed the Packers their postseason loss.
Chicago came close to beating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round game after throwing a game-tying touchdown with under 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A Caleb Williams interception in overtime sealed the Bears' fate as the Rams scored the game-winning field goal after that.
Going into the 2026 season, no one is a doubter of the Bears anymore, as they showed late in the season that they can compete with the best of them, while showing that they are resilient in the face of adversity. While there are areas of the roster that need improvement, Chicago appears to be in a position where the future looks bright for the franchise.
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The Bears have a much tougher schedule in 2026 as they will have to play teams like the Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. If 2025 wasn't enough proof of how for real they are, the Bears can really solidify it in 2026.