Ryan Poles spent the Bears’ offseason making moves, but not the kind that quieted the noise around Chicago.
Bleacher Report’s latest pre-training-camp power rankings still placed the Bears 10th, yet Brent Sobleski made it clear he’s not sold on the direction of the roster. His read is that Chicago is banking on internal growth more than major outside help, and that approach comes with real risk.
“The Bears will lean more on expected natural improvement than anything else this fall. Whether the franchise's choice to do so is a smart approach remains to be seen. Specifically, expectations for quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland are expected to be much higher in 2026 after an overtime loss that prevented the Bears from reaching the NFC Championship Game.
However, Chicago didn't make significant improvements to the roster. DJ Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker are gone.
Left tackle wasn't upgraded, and the front office somehow didn't add to the team's pass rush, which was arguably the squad's biggest need heading into the offseason. The Bears better hope their young players show marked improvement.
Otherwise, Chicago will be a prime regression candidate.”
That pass-rush issue sits at the center of the criticism. Chicago did not land an edge rusher in free agency, via trade, or in the draft. The only addition there was re-signing Daniel Hardy, and that leaves plenty of pressure on a defense that produced just 33 sacks in 17 regular season games.
The Bears are clearly counting on a younger core to carry more of the load in 2026. Burden is stepping into the role left by Moore, Thieneman and Bryant are taking over for Byard and Brisker, Braxton Jones is filling in for the injured Ozzy Trapilo, Garrett Bradbury or rookie Logan Jones is replacing the now-retired Drew Dalman, and Bush is sliding in for Edmunds.
Of those changes, Bush-for-Edmunds looks like the clearest upgrade. He and T.J. Edwards give Chicago a solid linebacker pairing, and D'Marco Jackson is back to provide depth.
Elsewhere, though, the Bears need the youth movement to hit. Williams has to keep climbing toward elite status, and if Rome Odunze, Burden and Loveland all deliver, the passing game should be in good shape.
The run game, at least, looks stable. Even with the offensive line expected to have two different starters, it remains one of the better units in the league, and D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai give Chicago a chance to repeat as a top-five rushing attack.
Poles has assembled a roster good enough to keep the Bears in the mix, but that is not the same thing as satisfying a fan base that wants a Super Bowl push. If the young players don’t keep improving, the pressure could build fast and trigger major changes next offseason.
In Other News...
Jay Cutler Pulled Back Into Another Awkward Public Divorce Fight
Jay Cutler has been dragged back into an uncomfortable post-divorce public back-and-forth with Kristin Cavallari, years after the former Bears quarterback and the reality TV personality finalized their split in 2022. The divorce ended nearly seven years of marriage, and the two have remained linked by the fact that they share three children and agreed to joint custody, a setup that has kept their family life in the public eye even after the legal process was supposed to be behind them.
The latest round of comments has once again put the settlement under a microscope, with Cutler pushing back on Cavallaris version of how things were handled. He has pointed to the fact that the divorce went through Tennessee court, suggesting the financial terms were handled there rather than in the way Cavallari has described, which has only added another awkward layer to a split that still seems to invite debate whenever either side speaks publicly. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Just Quietly Set Up A Bigger Tight End Decision
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What makes the move interesting is less the paperwork than the role waiting for him. Chicago is planning to use Roush primarily as a blocking tight end in its 2026 offense, with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet expected to handle most of the passing work. It is a subtle arrangement on the surface, but it also hints at how the Bears want to balance their tight end usage as they sort out who does what in the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Suddenly Have A Reason To Believe In Caleb Williams' Protection
The Bears offensive line is starting to look like a real strength heading into 2026, which is a welcome shift for a team trying to give Caleb Williams a cleaner path in his second season. With Joe Thuney and Braxton Jones already part of the picture, the additions of Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones have pushed the group into a conversation it has not often been part of in recent years.
NFL analyst Warren Sharp even went as far as ranking Chicagos line sixth in the league, a sign that the units stability is being taken seriously outside Halas Hall. If that evaluation holds and the front five comes together the way it appears capable of, the Bears could be looking at more than just better protection for Williams - they could be building the kind of foundation that changes the ceiling of the entire roster. [Read more 🡒]