Things are going to be very different for the Chicago Bears entering the 2026 season after the kind of year they are coming off.
Last year, the Bears entered with very low expectations with a young quarterback and first-year head coach, but it was completely flipped with their 11-6 season, capped off by an NFC North title and playoff win over the Green Bay Packers. Bears tight end Cole Kmet spent time with the media as the team starts its offseason program, and he knows that the Windy City is expecting more from the franchise.
"Last year is over with," Kmet said via The Score's Chris Emma. "The reality of the NFL is there are seven to nine new playoff teams every year. This league, they want parity and they get their parity. We see that year to year and we’re not excused from that. ... We’re looking to not only get back to where we were last year with the chance to go to the NFC Championship game, but to exceed that and go win the Super Bowl."
Cole Kmet and the Bears have Super Bowl aspirations in 2026
While this might feel more like a canned response since every team feels that way, things are different in Chicago. The Bears made a run to the NFC Divisional Round last year when they lost to the Los Angeles Rams, so naturally, the next step is to get to the NFC Championship game.
One great thing about this 2026 Bears team early on is the mindset of letting last year go and focusing on getting better. Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been pushing that narrative all offseason, as he has actually gotten upset at people for congratulating him on a good first season.
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It's clear that the Bears are not satisfied with what they did in 2025 and want more. A hungry team like that can be very dangerous.
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