Betting markets reveal the Bears' longshot odds for Super Bowl 61. Can Chicago defy expectations and contend for the ultimate prize?
The 2025 NFL season officially came to a close on Sunday night.
One former Chicago Bears player was called up to the active roster ahead of kickoff. The Seattle Seahawks elevated return specialist Velus Jones Jr. and running back Cam Akers from the practice squad.
Jones was with Chicago from 2022-24 and didn't have many good memories with the franchise. He had a history of mishandling kickoffs, leading to fumbles for the other team.
The Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 to host the Lombardi Trophy at Levi's Stadium. The game was relatively low-scoring, with no touchdowns until the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks went into halftime up 9-0 and hit another field goal in the third quarter to make it 12-0. Seattle then scored the first touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter to make it 19-0.
The Patriots finally got on the board with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins. However, Seattle quickly silenced New England by adding another field goal and a pick-six to its total, increasing the lead to 29-7.
New England scored another touchdown in garbage time, but it was too late, as Seattle lifted the trophy for the second time in franchise history.
Now, we can look ahead to the 2026 season and some of the betting odds that have been released. The Bears' Super Bowl 61 odds are currently set at +2500 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams have the best odds at +950.
Super Bowl 61 will be at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams.
The Bears went 11-6 in the regular season and clinched the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Chicago then hosted a pair of playoff games, reaching the Divisional Round, before losing 20-17 in overtime to the Rams.
However, apparently that's not enough to earn some respect from the oddsmakers ahead of the 2026 season. Having that slim of a chance to make the Super Bowl after what happened in just one year with Ben Johnson at the helm is disrespectful.
The Bears still return the majority of their coaching staff, and there are plenty of players who can take bigger leaps next season.
The 2025 rookies made their mark on the team. Kyle Monangai, Colston Loveland, Ozzy Trapilo and Luther Burden played significant minutes as rookies.
It looks like Chicago will just have to keep proving the doubters wrong, something that it got pretty good at in 2025.
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