The Bears enter 2026 with a few things their old rival in Green Bay would love to have, and the gap starts in the spots that swing games fastest.
Kicking is the easiest place to point. Chicago has Cairo Santos, and while he’s not flawless, the stability is there.
Green Bay, meanwhile, is moving on from Brandon McManus after his collapse helped open the door for Chicago’s epic playoff comeback a season ago. The Packers are now leaning on rookie Trey Smack, and he has been inconsistent throughout camp and the preseason.
The run game is another area where Chicago looks cleaner. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are described as a better duo than anything the Packers can currently put together.
Green Bay’s situation gets murkier because Josh Jacobs is dealing with injuries and has off-the-field concerns that could lead to a league suspension or affect his future depending on how his legal situation unfolds. The one note of caution for Chicago is the departure of current Kansas City Chiefs OC and former running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, whose presence demanded the best from that unit.
Up front and on the outside, the Bears have more to work with, too. Green Bay is carrying several questions along its offensive line and lost both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in the 2026 offseason. Chicago did move on from DJ Moore, but the reasoning was a surplus of young talent and enough offensive steadiness that he became a luxury rather than a necessity.
Then there’s the mental side, and it’s impossible to ignore after what happened in the playoffs. Green Bay blew a double-digit lead in the final quarter, a kind of loss that sticks.
Even if the Packers avoid obvious problems for most of the schedule, that finish hangs over them heading into matchups with Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. Any lead now comes with a reminder that it may not be safe, and that edge belongs to Chicago.
In Other News...
Bears Receiver Battle Suddenly Has One Roster Spot Everyone's Watching
Training camp and preseason have turned Jahdae Walker into one of the more interesting names in the Bears receiver mix. The young pass catcher has looked more confident and more physical, and that combination has helped him stand out in a group where a few spots already feel spoken for.
The real intrigue now sits with the final opening at receiver, where the conversation has narrowed to who can grab the last place on the roster. Walker has put himself in a strong position to land the fifth receiver spot, but with decisions still pending, the Bears have left at least one piece of the puzzle unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Just Reopened An Uneasy Garrett Bradbury Question
The Bears got useful work out of their joint practice with the Bengals, especially when it came to the passing game, but the session also brought a reminder of how quickly one position can become a talking point in August. Chicagos offense had stretches that looked functional, yet the Bengals defensive front still found ways to make quarterback Caleb Williams uncomfortable and force the Bears to sort through some protection concerns.
Garrett Bradbury is the player most likely to be measured against those concerns, because he came in expected to hold down the starting center job and bring stability to the middle of the line. Instead, a practice that should have helped settle the offense also reopened questions about whether Chicago has enough certainty there, especially after a day when the pressure came more frequently than the Bears would have liked. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Johnson Is Zeroing In On Caleb Williams Biggest Limiter
Caleb Williams has clearly taken steps forward in his grasp of the offense under Ben Johnson, but the Bears are still sorting through the same issue that can determine how far this group can go. Johnson has made it plain that the next step is not just about knowing where to go with the ball, but putting it there with enough precision to help receivers turn routine throws into explosive plays.
It is a familiar tradeoff for a young quarterback with big arm talent: play aggressively and keep the offense dangerous, or play safer and leave potential on the field. Johnson has stressed that balance in practice, and for Chicago that focus matters because the Bears are trying to build an attack that can stress defenses without sacrificing the kind of accuracy that makes the whole thing work. [Read more 🡒]