As Chicago Bears fans react to the NFL schedule release, along with the rest of the league's fan bases, the narratives and opinions keep flowing.
In talking about this upcoming 2026 campaign, former Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long joined NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" and discussed his thoughts on Chicago's slate.
"My fear for this team and for some of the simpler people at home is, maybe their record isn't as good, but this is a better football team."
My gut reaction to Long's words is simply a question: how can the Bears' record get worse but they're still a playoff team? Going 11-6 last year would mean this year, their record could be 10-7 or 9-8, but is that good enough to get them into the postseason?
I see what he is trying to say, though. Last year, the Bears' record felt much better than 11-6. After all, at one point late in the year, they were the NFC's no. 1 seed. But, if they end up 10-7 this year and make the playoffs, Long's take could very well be correct.
Kyle Long sees the 2026 Chicago Bears as a better team, regardless of record or schedule
He mentioned the fact that the Bears were so good in one-score games, so maybe, a couple of those don't go their way in 2026. That may be the difference between 11-6 and 9-8, especially considering the Bears face the toughest schedule in all of football this coming season.
Considering the difficult schedule, if the Bears finished with a worse record than 2025 but still made the postseason, I don't think any fan would be disappointed. As long as they get in, the Bears know what they'd be capable of.
Long noted as much, too:
"As we all know, if you've got the quarterback and you've got a head coach that's got a clue, every game is winnable. So, I think this Chicago Bears team has one thing on their sights, and that's one those downtown Chicago lake-front parades."
The former Oregon standout also talked about Caleb Williams being noticeably different after walking into the building for the start of the Bears' offseason program. There have been several reports of Williams' leadership and overall comfort being far higher, and that makes sense considering he's going into Year 2 with Ben Johnson.
If Williams levels up in his third season as a pro, and the Bears did indeed add the right pieces to their team this offseason, as Long also said he believed they did, then Chicago has every right to be thinking Super Bowl.
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As Long pointed out, they have the quarterback and the coach, so every game is winnable. Like last year, it's now about figuring out how to win each game in and of itself, especially when things look grim. Will the Bears be able to continue their hot streak of being nearly-unbeatable when the game is on the line?
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