After a Breakthrough Season, the Bears Face a Crucial Offseason That Will Define Their Future
The Bears’ 2025 campaign ended in heartbreak-a 20-17 loss to the Rams in the Divisional Round. A game that came down to the wire, and just like that, a season filled with promise and grit was over.
But let’s not lose the forest for the trees. This was one of Chicago’s most impressive seasons of the 21st century.
A team that had been stuck in the mud found traction, found identity-and found hope.
Now comes the hard part.
The Bears have been here before. Glimpses of success, flashes of potential-but never quite able to sustain it.
The challenge now isn’t just to build on a good season. It’s to prove this wasn’t a fluke.
With a young star quarterback in Caleb Williams, a sharp offensive mind in Ben Johnson, and a fanbase hungry for more, the Bears’ window is officially open. But as history shows, those windows don’t stay open for long.
Contending Is Hard. Staying a Contender Is Even Harder.
It’s easy to look ahead and think next year could be “the year.” But the NFL doesn’t hand out invitations to the postseason. Just ask the rest of the NFC North.
Remember the 2023 Lions? They were the darlings of the league, up 24-7 in the NFC title game, only to watch it all collapse.
The next season, they ran into a surging Commanders team and didn’t even make the playoffs. That window slammed shut fast.
Or the 2009 Vikings. Brett Favre had them on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, but one ill-timed interception later, and they were back to square one.
The next year? A 6-10 record and a last-place finish.
Even the Packers, with all their talent and a Super Bowl ring in 2010, haven’t been back since. Eleven straight playoff appearances, and nothing to show for it but heartbreak.
These aren’t just cautionary tales-they’re reality checks. The NFL is a league built on parity, and the margin between contender and pretender is razor-thin.
For the Bears, who pulled off seven last-minute comeback wins this season, that margin is about to get even thinner. In 2026, they’ll face the league’s toughest schedule.
And defenses will have had a full offseason to study Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson’s offense. The element of surprise?
It’s gone.
This is where the grind begins. The Bears can’t afford to assume anything. They have to earn it all over again.
The Salary Cap Crunch Is Real
The Bears’ front office has some heavy lifting to do. Despite having their franchise QB on a rookie deal, they’re working with less than $3.7 million in cap space, per Spotrac. That’s not a lot of wiggle room, especially with key players hitting free agency.
Veterans like Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and Nahshon Wright are all due for new deals-and those won’t come cheap. Retaining them will take creativity, precision, and maybe a little sacrifice somewhere else.
But it’s not just about keeping the band together. Chicago still has holes to fill-especially along the defensive line and at cornerback.
And linebacker T.J. Edwards, who fractured his fibula in the Wild Card win over Green Bay, may not be ready for Week 1.
That’s a big question mark in the middle of a defense that already needs reinforcements.
This is the kind of offseason that can make or break a team’s trajectory. One misstep-an overpay here, a key departure there-and the balance can shift in a hurry. GM Ryan Poles has done a lot of good things since taking over, but this is the offseason where every move matters.
The Draft Isn’t Just Important-It’s Essential
With limited cap space, the draft becomes even more critical. It’s the most cost-effective way to add talent, and the Bears need their picks to hit-especially beyond the first round.
Ryan Poles has shown a knack for finding early-round contributors, and he’s uncovered a few late-round gems too. But the third round and beyond? That’s been more of a mixed bag.
Since 2022, Poles has made 22 picks in the third round or later. Only a handful-Kyle Monangai, Tory Taylor, Austin Booker, and Noah Sewell-have made real impact.
Others, like Velus Jones, Zacch Pickens, and Kiran Amegadjie, haven’t lived up to expectations. And while no GM hits on every pick, the margin for error is shrinking.
This year’s draft class will need to produce players who can contribute right away-on rookie contracts. That’s the formula for sustained success in today’s NFL. If Chicago can find plug-and-play guys in April, they’ll be in a strong position to weather the cap storm and stay competitive in 2026.
This Offseason Is the Launchpad
Let’s be real-this past season wasn’t supposed to be the season. It was a step forward, a sign that the rebuild was working.
But 2026? That’s the year the Bears have been building toward.
The foundation is in place. The quarterback.
The coaching staff. The culture.
Now it’s about finishing the job.
If Ryan Poles and the front office can thread the needle-retain key players, plug roster holes, and draft well-this team has the potential to rule the NFC North and make serious noise in the conference. But if they falter, it could be another chapter in the long story of “what could’ve been” in Chicago.
The next few months at Halas Hall will shape the next few years. The Bears have momentum, talent, and belief. Now they need execution.
Buckle up, Bears fans. The offseason just became must-watch.