ESPN ranking proves the Chicago Bears are not your grandfather's Bears' team.

Defense has long been the foundation of the Chicago Bears' franchise and while that was a large part of the reason why the team was dominant in 1985, the fact of the the matter is we are only a year removed from it being 40 years since the Bears last won a Super Bowl.

The reason why the Bears' playoff success since 1985 has been minimal is that as the NFL shifted toward modern football, the offense became more important than ever. Looking beyond their struggles at the quarterback position, the Bears have struggled to find any sustained success on offense for consecutive seasons.

That is why what Ryan Poles has done this past offseason is so important. Unlike any Bears' general manager before him, Poles took an aggressive approach to improving the team's offense with the additions of D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and Rome Odunze. While Allen is a free agent after this season, the remaining playmakers are all under team control beyond this season including returning wide receiver DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.

The Bears' new-look offense has created a new outlook for the franchise.

Expectations are high for the Bears' offense and the latest proof of that is ESPN's ranking of NFL team' wide receiver, tight end, and running back talent. The Bears ranked within the Top 10 of the NFL and just outside of the Top 5, landing at No. 6.

"It has only been two years since the Bears were starting Velus Jones and Dante Pettis at wide receiver. Things have turned quickly. I'm not sure if Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze form the best trio of wide receivers a quarterback has had during a rookie season, but it can't be far off."

- ESPN

It goes without saying that the Bears' ranking is being carried by the three wide receivers in Moore, Allen, and Odunze. Moore had a career-year during his first season with the Bears and with added playmakers in Allen and Odunze, he could see less double coverage during the 2024 season.