Last season was like a fairy tale for the Chicago Bears after winning the NFC North and a playoff game, but the good times might be dying out there.
That's because The Athletic's Mike Jones believes the Bears are entering the 2026 season as one of the most overrated teams in the NFL. Jones has the Bears as overrated for two reasons: Caleb Williams and the defense.
"Ben Johnson ignited the Bears in his first season at the helm, and he helped Caleb Williams tap into some of the potential the franchise saw in the quarterback when selecting him No. 1 in 2024. Chicago’s defense led the NFL with 33 takeaways, and the Bears leapfrogged the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the division and reached the divisional round of the playoffs.
Expectations have skyrocketed, but taking that next step represents a great challenge. Williams delivered late-game heroics, but he and his team can’t count on a repeat of that trend. He’ll have to improve his consistency by a significant margin, and Chicago’s defense can’t get away with such a low pressure rate and such struggles against the run. The Bears feel primed for a step backward rather than forward."
Is it reasonable to believe the 2026 Chicago Bears are overrated?
Williams has gotten a lot of love over the offseason for his play last season, with many believing he's one of the best players in the NFL. The spectacular throws he made on a weekly basis with his clutch gene helped him receive almost universal praise from the media and the league.
One problem is that he's only had one good season in his two-year NFL career. People want to see him do it more often and make sure it wasn't a one-year fluke.
Chicago's defense is truly a mystery in terms of how it will look in 2026. They are mostly healthy, but still have to see about cornerback Kyler Gordon and defensive lineman Shemar Turner, who are both still hurt and not practicing this year.
Their lack of a pass rush is a massive concern as well, after just 35 sacks in 17 regular season games, ranking 26th in the NFL. Montez Sweat can't do it all himself, so the focus is on Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo improving and proving themselves to be efficient pass rushers who can get sacks.
Read more: Dennis Allen must answer for Bears' biggest question entering 2026
The doubters will always be there for the Bears since they were in the playoffs for the first time in five years and won a playoff game for the first time in a decade. This just gives them more ammunition to prove that they are the real deal and can compete with any team in the NFL.
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