The Chicago Bears have spent the 2025 season looking like a team that moved fast and moved well under Ben Johnson. Year one of that era has already put them in a place plenty of people didn’t see coming, and with the offense largely settled and the defense getting a makeover this offseason, Chicago has a chance to keep climbing in 2026.
That’s where the individual breakout watch gets interesting. A few Bears look positioned to put together the best seasons of their careers next year, and the clearest cases start with the young playmakers and end with a veteran defender who finally found his stride.
Luther Burden is the easiest place to start. The wideout’s rookie year in 2025 finished with 47 catches for 652 yards and two touchdowns, but the real story was how much stronger he looked as the season went on.
Over the first seven games, Burden managed only 13 receptions for 171 yards, a pace that would have translated to 32 catches and 415 yards over a full 17-game slate. In his final eight games, though, he caught 34 passes for 481 yards, which works out to a 72-catch, 1,022-yard season over 17 games.
With DJ Moore now on the Buffalo Bills, the path is open for Burden to step into a bigger role and become Caleb Williams’ top target at receiver.
Williams belongs in this conversation too. His completion percentage dipped from 2024 to 2025, but nearly everything else moved in the right direction.
He improved in yards, touchdown passes, touchdown percentage, passing first downs, success rate, yards per attempt, yards per completion, yards per game, passer rating, QBR and sack percentage. There’s more beyond that, but the larger point is simple: Williams was outstanding in year two.
He still had the occasional erratic throw, and the Bears’ pass-catchers weren’t flawless, but his growth in Johnson’s offense points toward a big year three. He also looks much more comfortable in the system, which is exactly what you’d expect from a quarterback gaining experience.
Then there’s Devin Bush, who may be the most under-the-radar name of the group. Bush has always had the talent, but it didn’t really come together until 2025 with the Cleveland Browns, when he posted a career-best season with three interceptions, eight passes defended, 125 total tackles and seven tackles for loss.
He also turned in the best coverage season of his career, allowing an opposing passer rating of 64.2, according to Pro Football Reference. PFF had him at a 69.3 passer rating allowed in coverage, which lines up with the same general story: Bush finally looked like a linebacker who could handle the job in space.
That matters in Chicago, where defensive coordinator Dennis Allen regularly asks his linebackers to do work in coverage. Bush fits that assignment, and he should have a chance to stay on the field more often because of it.
He has never played 900 snaps in a season, though he has gone over 800 twice. If that role expands the way it could, another stat-sheet stuffing year is well within reach.
In Other News...
Kaden Davis Is Forcing His Way Into The Bears Offense
Kaden Davis has spent training camp and the preseason turning a quiet roster battle into a conversation the Bears cant ignore. The wideout has stood out enough to draw notice from offensive coordinator Press Taylor, and in a crowded receiver room with several established options, Davis has been making his case the old-fashioned way by stacking productive snaps and giving the coaching staff something to think about.
His preseason opener only helped his cause, as he flashed as both a receiver and a return option while showing the kind of playmaking ability that can matter when jobs are on the line. Chicago still has time to sort out how much room there is for him in the offense, but Davis has already done enough to put himself in the mix for more than just a camp footnote. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Suddenly Have A Backfield Decision They Cant Ignore
A practice scare has left Chicago with a little more uncertainty in the backfield than it wanted at this stage of camp. Kyle Monangai is considered week-to-week with a knee injury after getting tangled up with Grady Jarrett, and the timing matters because the Bears have been trying to sort out how much depth they really have behind their top options.
Nick Chubb is now the veteran name being floated as the obvious insurance play, which tells you how quickly the conversation can shift when a running back room gets thin. Chubbs recent performance history makes him an interesting fit if Chicago decides it wants another proven body in the room, but for now the Bears are still in the waiting phase, with no signing or roster move confirmed. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Roster Battle Is Turning In Favor Of Two Overlooked Defenders
The preseason opener offered a useful look at how the Bears are sorting through the back end of their defensive line, and two names that did not arrive with much buzz came away with more attention than before. Kentavius Street logged a heavy workload with the starting defense, while James Lynch moved around to several spots up front, a sign the coaching staff wants to see how each can fit into the weekly rotation and provide depth once the games count.
For a roster that is still taking shape, those kinds of snaps matter. Streets run with the starters and Lynchs positional flexibility both suggest the Bears are giving themselves options beyond the obvious names, especially if they want steadier reinforcements across the line. The question now is whether that preseason usage was a one-night evaluation or the start of a clearer path into the regular-season plan. [Read more 🡒]