The Chicago Bears are one of the more likely teams to go from last place in their division to first place.
If we look back in December and think about how it could have come together, what are the ingredients that would lead to this becoming a reality?
Caleb Williams has a legitimate supporting cast
The Bears went out of their way to make sure Caleb Williams had no excuses heading into the 2025 season. Now, he has a chance to jump from being labeled a potential bust to being the best quarterback in the division. That would be a quick way to go from worst to first in the standings.
Williams has playmakers galore as the Bears took two more skill players in this draft. He also has a much improved offensive line, and most importantly, the head coach and play calling should be upgraded. Every year, the teams that surprise people have underrated quarterbacks, strong offseasons, and coaching changes. The Bears fit this look.
The Bears were better than their record said last year
The Bears had an awful record last year, but a lot of that comes down to how poorly they performed in close games. Typically, teams that lose close games tend to rebound the next year due to small breaks going their way. When you add in that the team significantly improved and there is a lot of reason to think that they are closer to a 10-win team on paper than many have believed.
Read more: Bears training camp position preview: Caleb Williams leads dream QB room
The division exceeded expectations last year
The division looks like a gauntlet, but every year is a new beast, and teams can ride the momentum wave for better or worse. Detroit had a brain drain, and their starting center surprisingly retired on them. The Vikings will now shift to another unproven quarterback, and they were a team that benefited greatly from winning coin flips last year.
Green Bay will always be competitive, but when you factor in the streakiness of Jordan Love, the reliability on playcalling for Jared Goff, and the injury of JJ McCarthy, we could walk away saying Williams is the bets passer in this group. Even if just a team or two have lower than expected records it will open the door for the Bears to win the division.