As the Chicago Bears head toward 2026, there are a handful of players who can’t afford a quiet season. Some are fighting for money.
Some are fighting for snaps. And some are simply fighting to prove they belong where they are.
Garrett Bradbury is one of the names drawing attention early. The camp reports have been strong: he’s been sharp, he’s been handling communication with Caleb Williams, and he’s taken charge of the offense without any real push from rookie Logan Jones.
Still, Bradbury has landed on a third team in three years for a reason. Being solid in practice won’t be enough.
Chicago needs that to carry over once the games count.
Kentavius Street is in a different kind of spot. He’s heading into his eighth NFL season and what might be the biggest one of his career.
He has only 10 starts to his name, but he looks lined up to start in Week 1. Injuries have slowed him down, yet the talent has always been there.
With Chicago trading Gervon Dexter to Atlanta and keeping two rookies on the defensive line, Street has a real chance to pile up snaps. The question is simple: does he make the most of a golden opportunity?
Tyrique Stevenson is also staring at a pivotal year. The Bears’ secondary comes with plenty of uncertainty, and both the starting safety and slot cornerback are expected to be out for a while.
That puts even more pressure on Stevenson, who is in what looks like a make-or-break season. He’s due a contract after this year, and his performance will decide whether that deal comes from Chicago or somewhere else.
The Bears need him to hold up on the outside, because if they can’t trust him there, he could wind up on the bench.
D’Andre Swift is in that same contract-year spotlight. Roschon Johnson is the third-string back because of special teams, and Kyle Monangai is banged up.
The setup gives Swift a real opening, especially with Ben Johnson able to scheme the run game effectively. If Swift cashes in on that chance, he can set himself up nicely.
Rome Odunze rounds out the group, and his situation is easy to understand. He’s entering a crucial third year after an ugly rookie season for the offense and an injury-hit second season.
The Bears have seen enough flashes to believe in him, but he still hasn’t fully lived up to that belief. A big year would change the conversation fast, and it could even start extension talk.
In Other News...
Bears Suddenly Have A Running Back Depth Question Worth Watching
The Bears got a little breath of relief with the latest running back injury scares, because neither Kyle Monangai nor D'Andre Swift appears to be dealing with a long-term issue. Even so, it was enough to turn a position that had looked stable into one worth watching, especially for a team that leans on the ground game and cant afford to get thin behind its top two backs.
From there, the conversation naturally shifts to the practice-squad market, where several runners on other teams could be available if Chicago needs a quick layer of insurance. It is the kind of depth question that can fade in a hurry if the injured backs move along as expected, but it is also the sort of roster issue that front offices keep on the radar until they are sure it is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Fans Know The Part Of Green Bay's QB Legacy Nobody Mentions
For more than a generation, the Bears have lived with the same familiar Green Bay storyline: Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers piling up regular-season wins while making life miserable in Chicago. Their combined 46-15 mark against the Bears is part of the franchise backdrop now, the kind of number that helps explain why so many Chicago fans can recite the Packers quarterback lineage without ever sounding impressed by it.
What gets less attention is how the postseason side of that legacy looks when the games get bigger and the margins get thinner. Favres playoff rsum includes some painful interception-heavy moments in key games, while Rodgers has generally protected the ball better even as his postseason exits have often been pinned on other factors. For Bears fans, the rivalry memory is not just about all those Sundays at Lambeau and Soldier Field. It is also about how two all-time quarterbacks carried very different kinds of weight when the season was on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Veterans Suddenly Have A Lot Riding On This Season
The Bears roster has a few familiar faces playing with an added layer of urgency this season, and it goes beyond the usual pressure that comes with a new year. DAndre Swift, Garrett Bradbury, Braxton Jones, Tyrique Stevenson, and Dayo Odeyingbo all enter the year with some version of uncertainty attached to their long-term place in Chicago, whether because they are in a contract year or because their standing on the roster could shift if the season goes sideways.
For a team trying to build something more stable, those situations matter just as much as the broader win-loss picture. Each player brings a different kind of value and a different kind of question, and the Bears will be watching not only production but also consistency, durability, and fit as the season unfolds. By the time it ends, this could be a group that still looks like part of the future, or one that reminds everyone how quickly a roster can turn over. [Read more 🡒]