As soon as Ben Johnson took over as head coach, the buzz surrounding the Chicago Bears got much louder. Then came the expectations, which have gotten quite lofty. But for as strong as Johnson can build the Bears in year one, Chicago will still need to go through the NFC North gauntlet.
The Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings all made the playoffs in 2025, and they aren’t trying to give up their spot anytime soon. Furthermore, for as much hype as the Bears have received, they’re still coming off of a 5-12 season. It’ll take quite the effort for Chicago to take over the NFC North in 2025.
However, based on how the offseason is looked, the Bears aren’t being counted out. They come in at No. 3 in Kevin Patra of NFL.com’s worst-to-first rankings, being beaten out by the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots.
“Call it the “Offseason of Caleb Williams.” The Bears did everything they could to buffer their former No. 1 overall pick after a roller-coaster rookie season,” Patra wrote.
“The darlings of the offseason wouldn’t surprise anyone by climbing out of the NFC North cellar,” he continued. “The only thing keeping them from being higher on this list is the difficulty of the division.”
Chicago Bears bracing for NFC North challenge
The Lions, Packers and Vikings have all gone through their own levels of change heading into 2025. But that won’t make them any less difficult of a challenge. Working in the Bears’ favor at least is Johnson’s considerable understanding of the NFC North.
Before anything else, if the Bears are going to be successful, then quarterback Caleb Williams needs to take a step forward. Chicago took him No. 1 overall for a reason. After building around him all offseason, the Bears are confident their investment pays off. If the quarterback continues to struggle though, Chicago will be stuck at square one.
While Johnson’s arrival puts an emphasis on the offense, the Bears must step up defensively as well. They allowed the Vikings to score 30+ points in both of their 2024 matchups. The Lions scored 23 in their first battle before dropping 34 on the Bears. Chicago managed to stay afloat with Green Bay, but another year of Jordan Love developing under Matt LaFleur could lead to larger production.
Johnson and the Bears must first focus on fixing their own franchise. But when the regular season begins, the NFC North will be waiting.
49ers, Patriots glow up
Ultimately, the Bears are more concerned about competing in their own conference rather than their placing on a worst-to-first list. Still, it’s important to note why Chicago didn’t earn the top spot.
The 49ers saw their roster depleted during the offseason with players such as Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw leaving. Now Jauan Jennings is requesting a trade. However, this is still a team with Brock Purdy at quarterback and Kyle Shanahan at the helm. Purdy will have weapons like Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle to utilize. Furthermore, a fully healthy Nick Bosa is any offense’s nightmare. Things will look different in San Francisco, but the 49ers are still expected to compete.
The Patriots made a quick change at head coach, bringing in franchise legend Mike Vrabel. New England believes they have found their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. They spent big in free agency adding names like Milton Williams and Carlton Davis before landing left tackle Will Campbell in the draft. While the Buffalo Bills look like Super Bowl contenders, the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are on rocky footing.
All three teams will be under the spotlight throughout the 2025 campaign. But the Bears are trying to ensure that they’ll shine the brightest.
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