After a playoff berth, the Bears target Super Bowl contention, defensive line upgrades, and rookie receiver leaps for 2026.
Like everyone else, the Chicago Bears are stepping into 2026 with the hopes that it will be their year.
The Bears had a pretty good 2025 under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago is the No. 2 seed in the NFC and will be going to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Bears also clinched the NFC North after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17.
The changes that this franchise has gone through in just one season are nothing short of remarkable. However, there are still things the Bears should try to improve on in the new year.
Here are some goals the Bears should aim for in 2026:
Make the Most of Playoffs
As Johnson predicted, this team will be playing its best football by December, and I would have to agree.
Now, the Bears enter January, and it's time to really lock in for the playoffs. The first goal of the year for Chicago should be to go as far as possible in the playoffs, whether that's to the NFC Championship or, hopefully, a Super Bowl.
You don't want to end up the 2018 Bears and have a first-round exit.
Fix Defensive Line
The Bears attempted to patch some holes along the defensive line in the offseason, but it didn't work out as they'd hoped.
General Manager Ryan Poles brought in former Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo to help, but he suffered a torn Achilles Tendon and is out for the season.
The Bears signed him to a three-year, $48 million contract via Spotrac, but he played in eight games, recording 21 total tackles and two TFLs.
Grady Jarrett has also not lived up to expectations. Jarrett is in the first year of a three-year, $42.75 million contract and hasn't been very consistent.
Jarrett has 36 total tackles and one TFL in 13 games. He has also only started in four games for Chicago this season.
Poles need to prioritize free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft to bolster the Bears' defensive line.
Rookies Need to Take a Leap
The rookies that the Bears drafted on offense have been pretty solid this year, with Luther Burden and Colston Loveland really coming into their own in the back half of the season.
However, they need to take even bigger steps in 2026. We've seen how vital depth at receiver and tight end can be, given the injuries to the likes of Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet throughout the year.
Burden and Loveland should look to improve even more in their second year in Johnson's offense. The sky is the limit for the rookies as they enter their second seasons in the NFL.
Here's hoping 2026 is even kinder to Bears fans than 2025 was!