All offseason, Chicago Bears fans have been hounded with the reminder that their team is expected to regress in 2026. The miraculous run that Ben Johnson led in 2025 is destined to come back to earth, analysts claim. But what if instead, the Bears launch themselves even higher in league standings, making their way back to the Super Bowl for the first time in two decades?
NFL executives believe that it could happen. Mike Sando of The Athletic polled league execs on the current standing of the NFC and on which teams could contend for a Super Bowl. Chicago placed fifth in the conference, with two voters considering Johnson's team a Super Bowl contender and the other four considering them division contenders. One exec even placed the Bears atop the NFC.
Maybe regression isn't coming after all.
NFL executives place Bears among NFC's top teams
One voter isn't buying the regression narrative. That anonymous executive said, "I know all the regression stuff. The coach is really good, they have a really good ascending quarterback, the roster is super talented. They did all the right things in the offseason to fight the regression."
We've all heard the argument for regression. The Bears were 7-4 in one-score games last season and had seven fourth-quarter comebacks. The defense relied on forcing turnovers, which typically doesn't carry over from season to season.
And to be clear, slight regression is certainly possible. It wouldn't be a disaster if Chicago hovers around .500 and misses the playoffs this year. But it's far from being a foregone conclusion.
The Bears didn't add much to the roster this offseason, and one of their biggest additions is already out for most of the year, as Coby Bryant suffered a knee injury in camp. But if a few young players on offense progress, the unit could become the best in the NFL.
Caleb Williams still had plenty of bumps in his game last season. A summer of ironing them out could make the offense run much more smoothly. And if Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III continue their late-season breakouts, the offense will be electric.
Read more: Position-by-position takeaways from Bears' initial 53-man roster reveal
There is plenty of projection required to buy into the Bears' Super Bowl chances in 2026, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But NFL executives are making it clear that this team should not be counted out before the regular season kicks off.
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