The expectations in 2026 are high from the Chicago Bears fan base for this team to compete for a Super Bowl title, but the rest of the NFL media might not be exactly as high on them.
Many have predicted the Bears would win only about nine games, given their toughest schedule in the NFL ranking heading into the 2026 season. Sports Illustrated NFL writer Conor Orr shared his 100 bold predictions for the 2026 season, and it was not a good one for the Bears, as he has the Detroit Lions winning the NFC North.
"One of the most underrated aspects of a team’s schedule, in my opinion, is the runway with which to build momentum. That momentum overpowers the basic fact that many of those wins were against opponents that the team should have beaten. Those wins create a false confidence those teams carry with them into more neutral matchups or matchups in which a team should be considered an underdog. I love the beginning of the Lions’ slate, even if Detroit has all of its road divisional games over the final weeks of the season. My thought: If the Lions can bank four wins from their opening stretch against the Saints, Bills, Jets, Panthers and Cardinals, they will be in a much better position to lose ground later in the season in Green Bay or Chicago."
Lions predicted to dethrone the Bears from NFC North crown
The Bears had a great season, going 11-6 in 2025, but they did have a kryptonite to their year: the Lions. Chicago lost both matchups to the Lions as Detroit convincingly won in Week 2 and then hit a game-winning field goal to beat the Bears in Week 18.
It was the last thing the Bears wanted to do, especially since their head coach, Ben Johnson, was the Lions' offensive coordinator from 2022 through 2024. Chicago wanted to win those for Johnson, but it just didn't happen in 2025.
Detroit is rolling into 2026 with the easiest schedule in the NFL, so many are predicting they will win the division. At this point, the Bears might be lucky if they sneak into the playoffs, according to experts.
Bears fans aren't buying into that negative narrative, as they have the talent to compete with the top teams in the NFL, as they proved last season. They were able to beat some strong opponents like the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Read more: NFL voice makes convincing argument for Bears to make 1 trade before 2026 season
It feels as though many experts are sleeping on the Bears as much as they did last season, which doesn't make sense. Chicago is ready to prove them wrong and take the Lions back down to the bottom of the NFC North, where they were last year.
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