2025 Chicago Bears Season Wrap-Up and 2026 Look Ahead

Champion of the season. [Photo: NFL Plus]

Player Grades

The grading scale goes from -2 to +2, in half-point increments, for each play. Screens are graded as runs. Penalties are counted in whatever phase they were committed. Pre- and post-snap penalties are in the “Misc.” column. “Short” throws are 15 yards or less, “Deep” is over 15. Everything else (scrambles, throwaways, reads, etc.) is under “Miscellaneous.” Parentheses in a column denote grades/snaps from the opposite side of the ball and are not included in grades/snaps from the player’s usual side. Snap counts are from Pro Football Reference. Box score and other relevant info can be found at that link as well.

First, the playoff game against the Rams:

Box score

Darnell Wright

  Jaquan Brisker

Kyler Gordon

  Caleb Williams

Now, the games I needed to catch up on:

vs. Saints box score

D’Andre Swift

  Drew Dalman

Kyle Monangai

  Kevin Byard

vs. Giants box score

Caleb Williams

  Rome Odunze

Cole Kmet

  Jaquan Brisker, Joe Thuney (full point to each)

at Vikings box score

Colston Loveland

  Cole Kmet

Joe Thuney

  Kevin Byard, Darnell Wright (full point to each)

vs. Steelers box score

Colston Loveland

  Nahshon Wright

Cole Kmet

  Kyle Monangai

Final Star Count

 

Position-by-position wrap-up:

(Preseason predictions are in italics.)

Quarterback

Feel good about: Tyson Bagent has looked good this preseason. While he’s playing against 2’s, he’s playing with 2’s, too. Should Caleb have to miss any time, they can win with Bagent. This is not the case for every team in the league – the game against the Bills showed that. If Josh Allen goes down (a legit concern, given his propensity for playing football like it’s a demolition derby), they’re ultra screwed. 

Worry about: It’s year one for Caleb in a new offense. Growing pains are likely. 

Confidence level: 8

Bagent wasn’t needed, but word is that teams with a vacancy at QB are looking his way. As for Caleb, those growing pains did happen. But he got over them faster than expected. Going back and grading the games that I missed while the season was going on, it really stood out how much better Caleb got as the season went on. Year two in the offense should be an outstanding one. Now, “should” is the word that keeps the postseason score from reaching a full 10. Trubisky’s year two under Nagy should have been great and very much wasn’t. Caleb is different, though. We’ve finally got the guy. 

2025 score: 9.5

The Iceman cometh. [Photo: Yahoo Sports]

Running back

Feel good about: Kyle Monangai looks like he could be Jordan Howard 2.0.

Worry about: Neither returning RB averaged 4 YPC last year. 

Confidence level: 6

Monangai was Howard-like, but showed a little more potential in the passing game than Howard had, so hooray for that. D’Andre Swift had his moments that had me yelling at the TV “Why are you running there? You are going to get tackled! Run at the green space over there!” That said, he was better than I expected him to be and his play moved RB from a position they need to upgrade to one that it would be a luxury to upgrade.

2025 score: 8

Wide receiver/Tight end

Feel good about: Take your pick: Colston Loveland was just outside my top 5 overall draft prospects this year and it looks I may have seriously underrated him. OR Zaccheaus looks like a legitimate threat in his own right and not just the depth piece he appeared to be when the Bears signed him. OR Rome Odunze looks poised to become a top level receiver in the NFL.

Worry about: Cole Kmet is going to be asked to make some tough blocks in the Y role, and he was not making them consistently last year. 

Confidence level: 10

Zaccheaus never amounted to more than “depth piece” and Odunze didn’t take that step. How much of the latter was due to an injury hampering him is one of the biggest questions facing the team going into 2026. However, I absolutely did underrate Loveland, Luther Burden came on stronger than I expected in year one, and Kmet’s blocking turned out to not be something to worry about. Burden’s rapid emergence turned DJ Moore into a luxury. While trading Moore does now make depth somewhat of a concern, the Bears may already have the answer in house in Jah’dae Walker.

2025 score: 10

Offensive line

Feel good about: Depth, especially on the interior. We’ve seen Bates be solid when healthy. Preseason caveats apply, but Newman and Benedet both looked pretty good there. Any of them should be at least capable if needed. 

Worry about: The left tackle spot. The Packers picked up Micah Parsons and this division already featured Aidan Hutchinson, Rashan Gary, and Jonathan Greenard.

Confidence level: 7.5

Left tackle needed to just not be a disaster, and it wasn’t. At the end of the season, Trapilo looked like he could be the left tackle of the future…and then tore his patellar tendon and now he’s a big question mark. Benedet was capable when pressed into service, but that’s about it. Benedet does well on the mental side and doesn’t get pushed around often, but he’s too stiff in the hips to be considered the long-term guy. The staff appears to feel the same way, hence Thuney at LT for the Rams game with Trapilo out. Maybe Benedet could start at guard in the future. On the right side, Darnell Wright took a step towards superstardom.

Jonah Jackson stayed healthy, Joe Thuney was his typical excellent self and was given the hardware to prove it. The Bears even got a nice bonus, as Jordan McFadden looked okay against the Rams. 

Drew Dalman had a good year. Then Drew Dalman retired. So that’s unfortunate. We’ll discuss his replacement in the free agency section. 

2025 score: 8.5

Defensive line

Feel good about: Gervon Dexter could become a legit star this year. 

Worry about: The one proven player on the edge is coming off the worst year of his career and while the interior looks good, two of the three top players are 30+.

Confidence level: 2.5

Welp. Dexter not only didn’t become a star, he regressed. Nobody on the interior was particularly good, as last not consistently. And the only guy on the edge who was truly good was Sweat. Booker did enough to merit a spot in the rotation going forward. Odeyingbo missed most of the season with an injury, though when he played, he wasn’t any good. Barring a major comeback, he will be a cut candidate next offseason. Shemar Turner did flash a bit when he was healthy, so there may be some hope there. We’ll see if he sticks on the edge or moves back inside. Regardless, this group needs major work. 

2025 score: 0.5

Linebacker

Feel good about: While 2024 was a step backwards for both Edmunds and Edwards, they were both still pretty good.

Worry about: Potential continued decline from two guys whose contracts now make that Roquan Smith trade look extra bad. 

Confidence level: 6

Edmunds was great at coming up with picks but didn’t do near enough otherwise to justify his large price tag and has been shown the door. Edwards continued his decline and then got hurt. 2026 will be a “prove it” year for the former Badger. Noah Sewell showed flashes, but struggled in coverage at times, partially because he just doesn’t have the speed you want in today’s NFL. And then he also got hurt. D’Marco Jackson was a very nice surprise and your author would feel good about him as a starter next year. 

2025 score: 4

Defensive back

Feel good about: The tools Dennis Allen has at his disposal. Allen runs a good amount of nickel and dime packages where he brings an extra safety onto the field instead of an extra corner. Gordon can play outside in those situations and both Hicks and Owens have proven to be at least serviceable. 

Worry about: Health. Jaquan Brisker couldn’t stay on the field last year, Jaylon Johnson missed all of the preseason, and Terell Smith is already out for the season. 

Confidence level: 8.5

This group will be covered a lot more in the free agent section. As it pertains to the 2025 season, Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon’s injuries hurt a ton. CJ Gardner-Johnson was a solid addition, but he’s not Kyler. 

2025 score: 5.5

The X-factor. [Photo: Gordon Stellfox, Getty Images]

Special teams

Feel good about: Santos is a near certainty from inside 40.

Worry about: Cairo’s leg strength, particularly in those outdoor games in November and December. 

Confidence level: 9

Look, the conversation needs to be had about Cairo. The lack of distance is going to end up costing us at some point. But! He was steady on the routine kicks. Also, Tory Taylor has just been meh. Would I be irked with Taylor if he wasn’t a fourth-round pick? No. But he was, so I am.

2025 score: 6.5

Looking ahead

Roster moves

Departures

C Drew Dalman (retired)

WR DJ Moore (traded: Buffalo)

LB Tremaine Edmunds (released, free agency: New York Giants)

LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (released)

EDGE Dominique Robinson (free agency; Houston)

WR Olamide Zaccheus (free agency: Atlanta)

CB Nahshon Wright (free agency: New York Jets)

DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson (free agency: Buffalo)

S Kevin Byard (free agency: New England)

S Jaquan Brisker (free agency: Pittsburgh)

S Jonathan Owens (free agency: Indianapolis)

EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (free agency: Philadelphia)

RB Travis Homer (free agency: Pittsburgh)

DI Andrew Billings (free agency: Arizona)

TE Durham Smythe (free agency: Baltimore)

WR Devin Duvernay (free agency: Arizona)

DI Chris Williams (free agency: Atlanta)

Signings

S Coby Bryant (3 yrs, $40 million, Seattle)

LB Devin Bush (3 yrs, $30 million, Cleveland)

DI Neville Gallimore (2 yrs, $12 million, Indianapolis)

WR Kalif Raymond (1 yr, $3.5 million, Detroit)

CB Cam Lewis (2 yrs, $6 million, Buffalo)

DI James Lynch (1 yr, $1.315 million, Tennessee)

OT Jedrick Wills (1 yr, $1.215 million, Cleveland)

DI Kentavius Street (1 yr, $1.48 million, Atlanta)

LB Jack Sanborn (1 yr, $1.215 million, Dallas)

Re-signings

LB D’Marco Jackson (2 yrs. $7.5 million)

OT Theo Benedet (1 yr, $1 million)

EDGE Daniel Hardy (2 yrs., $4.97 million)

OT Braxton Jones (1 yr, up to $10 million)

OG Jordan McFadden (1 yr, $1.3 million)

CB Jaylon Jones (1 yr, $1.315 million)

S Elijah Hicks (1 yr, $2.6 million)

QB Case Keenum (2 yrs., $5.5 million)

Trade acquisitions

C Garrett Bradbury (1 yr remaining, $5.7 million cap hit, New England)

You probably noticed a large chunk of last year’s secondary in the “departures” section and may have gotten slightly concerned. It should be noted, though, that none of those players signed long-term deals and none of them signed for very much money. Brisker I only really wanted back if he was going to gain 25 pounds and move to linebacker. CJGJ would’ve been nice to have for depth since he can play not only safety, but also nickel in a pinch. Owens? Bye. Frankly, Byard is the only guy I seriously wanted back, but he’ll be 33 when next season kicks off, so it’s easy to see why the Bears moved on. The Patriots during their dynasty were very good at getting rid of guys a year too early instead of a year too late. This feels like that. The fact that none of these guys signed big contracts should tell you what the rest of the league thinks of them. This was a defense that lived and died based on their ability to produce takeaways. There is a randomness to turnovers; you can’t just plan on getting as many of them as you did this year. The moves the team has made on defense this offseason have been ones that will help them be more consistent and less reliant on turnover luck.

Coby Bryant (yes he was named after the Mamba) arrives after hoisting the Lombardi trophy with the Seahawks last season. Bryant possesses excellent ball skills and, while he mostly lined up at free safety in Seattle, he can come down and make plays against the run as well. The other big signing, Devin Bush comes from a situation in Cleveland that was pretty much the opposite of winning the Super Bowl. Bush is a smaller linebacker, but plays bigger than he is, and, particularly importantly, brings speed to a defense that was lacking it at linebacker. 

Elsewhere, Cam Lewis figures to be the CJGJ replacement. Neville Gallimore figures to replace Andrew Billings, at least in terms of snaps. Gallimore isn’t a big run stuffer like Billings is. Rather, he brings a little more explosiveness to the position, which fits with what Dennis Allen typically looks for there. 

On offense, the big stories are the retirement of Drew Dalman and the trade of D.J. Moore. Moore had become something of a luxury; with Odunze on the rise, Burden and Loveland being so good, so quickly, and Jah’dae Walker looking like he could be a capable WR3, Moore’s price tag wasn’t justifiable. So, in another “year too early instead of year too late” move, he was shipped off to Buffalo along with a 5th-round pick to bring back a 2nd-round pick. It’s the loss of Dalman that I think will be a bigger factor for the Bears in 2026. Garrett Bradbury is a solid zone run blocker and should be at least a fine replacement, but it’s hard to not see this as something of a downgrade. 

You’re the man now, dawg. [Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images]

On the free agency front, Kalif Raymond replaces Devin Duvernay as “kick returner who could see a smattering of snaps at receiver.” The team took a flier on Jedrick Wills. We’ll see in camp if he can be anything like his old self. Braxton Jones got an incentive-laden one-year contract, so that appears to be the battle for the left tackle position going into the draft. If the draft doesn’t break the right way for the Bears and neither Wills nor Jones can stake a real claim to the position, Theo Benedet was also re-signed. Thuney might be a last resort, but it’s an option, especially given the options available to the Bears on the interior.

Looking ahead

Here’s what I see as the team needs going into the draft.

1. Edge rusher

I was never high on Dayo Odeyingbo, so I’m not holding out hope that he’s going to come back and be great next year. Nor am I expecting an Austin Booker breakout. I think both of those guys can be decent parts of the rotation, but you need another guy who can make a real impact.

2. Interior defender

Gervon Dexter got no better last year. If anything, he regressed. Grady Jarrett was not the guy the Bears thought they were getting and I’m skeptical of his ability to be that guy at 33. Much like at EDGE, they need a difference maker.

3. Safety

I honestly think you could put the top 3 in any order. I went with this order because among these 3 positions with question marks, I feel the most confident in Elijah Hicks.

4. Left tackle

A major concern, but, as was the case at this point last year, they just need it to not be a disaster. Even if Wills has nothing left and Jones isn’t the answer, and the draft doesn’t go the way the Bears hope, we have seen Benedet be not a disaster. 

5. Tight end

Durham Smythe’s departure in free agency creates an opening at TE3. Ben Johnson uses heavy sets enough that this makes the list. With how often we’d see tight ends line up in the backfield during the season, watch for the Bears to draft an H-back type like Michigan’s Max Bredeson or Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski to fill this role.

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