Honestly, the level of parity is one of my favorite things about the NFL, and kind of renders the whole "contender" conversation moot for the most part. Of course you have stalwarts, like the Patriots, but every season there are surprise "contenders", and teams that completely fall of the cliff that were super competitive the year before. That said, I do feel like the Bears are in good position to push for the next season or two. Barring injuries. They were very fortunate last season in that respect.