The Bears are heading into Week 4 with a little momentum and a lot of questions still hanging over the room.
After what Ben Johnson pulled off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, Chicago has a very different kind of feel around it. The Bears, now 2-1 and sitting just behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North, get the New York Jets at Soldier Field next.
A matchup that would have looked like a mismatch not long ago has tightened up some, because the Jets have shown real fight through three weeks. Geno Smith has given their offense a spark, and New York at least looks capable on that side of the ball.
Even so, this still feels like a game Chicago should control. The bigger issue is figuring out exactly how the Bears want to handle it.
The quarterback decision is the obvious headline. With Caleb Williams out, the offense looked sharp with Case Keenum, and there’s a strong case to keep that setup rolling.
Keenum completed 24-of-34 passes and threw three touchdowns without turning it over, and the Bears were in rhythm with him at the controls. Changing course now would mean interrupting something that finally worked.
That creates a tough spot for Tyson Bagent, who was the no. 2 before going down with a concussion at the end of Week 2. It’s one of those unfortunate NFL situations, and Bagent will have to take it in stride. There’s also the possibility that this could eventually lead to a trade conversation once Williams gets closer to returning, but that’s a different conversation for another day.
There’s also reason to ask whether this Bears defense is starting to turn a corner.
The criticism has been loud, and Ryan Poles has taken plenty of it along with the unit, but the last two weeks have looked different. Chicago has held opponents to single-digit points in back-to-back games.
Yes, there was help from an ugly Andy Dalton interception on the goal line, but the Bears also made their own plays, especially in the second half against Philadelphia. The defensive line was noticeably more active, and Dayo Odeyingbo has started to shift the conversation with his play.
Two rookies have also given this secondary a lift. Malik Muhammad and Dillon Thieneman have looked like real finds, and with uncertainty around Jaylon Johnson, plus questions about the health and overall play of Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon, their emergence matters.
The Jets, for their part, aren’t just drifting along anymore. Geno Smith is 10th in the NFL in passing, and New York ranks 13th in yards per game. That’s enough to keep Chicago honest, and enough to make overlooking this opponent a mistake.
On offense, the Bears are still sorting through who’s doing what in the passing game, but there’s no need to panic yet. Rome Odunze’s drops remain a concern after he let a touchdown slip through his hands against the Eagles, and his 13 targets through three games stand out.
Colston Loveland finally got involved and finished with four catches on Monday night, while Kalif Raymond leads the team in receiving with 214 yards. Luther Burden III, meanwhile, now leads the Bears with 23 targets to Raymond’s 21.
That spread of production doesn’t look like a problem as long as the offense keeps humming. The one player who really does deserve a closer look is rookie tight end Sam Roush.
He managed to haul in a fourth-down conversion against Philly, but he also tripped after the catch and fumbled the ball out of bounds. Thankfully, it stayed out of danger, but the issue is still there.
In Other News...
Ryan Poles Just Changed The Bears Pass Rush Debate
The Bears spent the 2026 offseason reshaping the interior of their defensive line, adding several defensive tackles while leaving the edge group untouched and sending Gervon Dexter to Atlanta. Through three games, the early returns have made the front look more complete than the roster construction might have suggested, with Chicago piling up 52 quarterback pressures and seven sacks while ranking 10th in the NFL in pressure rate.
Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo have carried much of the load on the outside, and Austin Booker has also shown encouraging progress as the rotation has settled in. It leaves Ryan Poles in an interesting spot: the pass rush debate that looked like a clear offseason priority has shifted into a more nuanced conversation about whether the Bears have enough at edge, or whether the mix they assembled can keep producing once teams adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Win Couldnt Hide A Problem Fans Can Already See
A 27-7 win over the Eagles should have left the Bears feeling pretty good about themselves, and in plenty of ways it did. But even a comfortable result could not fully mask the way some individual performances have begun to settle in, especially on a roster trying to sort out which pieces can be trusted as the season opens up. For a team still building its identity, the early weeks have already started to separate the players rising with the moment from the ones sliding the other direction.
Braxton Jones has had a rough stretch at left tackle, and Theo Benedet has not seized the chance to steady that spot when called upon. Elsewhere, Rome Odunze, Kyle Monangai and Neville Gallimore have also fallen short of expectations through the first three weeks, leaving the Bears with more to sort through than a single win can fix. The scoreboard said one thing against Philadelphia, but the film is already asking tougher questions about where this team is getting dependable production. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bears Receiver Back In The Mix As 49ers Injuries Mount
As injuries continue to chip away at the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver room, the team is turning back to a familiar name for help. Dante Pettis is expected to rejoin the 49ers practice squad after working out with the club and awaiting a physical, a move that gives them another experienced option as they try to steady a position group that has been stretched thin.
Pettis was originally drafted by San Francisco in 2018, and his return would add a bit of roster familiarity at a time when the 49ers need bodies more than they need introductions. He has moved on to multiple other NFL teams since then, but the receiver depth issue in San Francisco has created an opening for a player who knows the system and can at least provide another layer of insurance while the injuries sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]