The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2026 season with one clear NFC problem: the Seattle Seahawks.
That was the team standing in their way, the one that had flattened them in the previous two meetings before this year. San Francisco finally cleared that hurdle in Week 5. But now there’s another team forcing its way into the conversation, and it may be an even bigger concern.
That team is the Chicago Bears.
Chicago was already on the 49ers’ radar as a club that could complicate things in the NFC. After what it did to Seattle on Monday night, though, the Bears have moved into a different tier of threat. Winning convincingly at Lumen Field in primetime, with the whole football world watching, was the kind of result that turns heads fast.
The Bears have been rolling this season, and that win in Seattle only pushed them further up the standings. San Francisco has to be paying attention now, if it wasn’t already.
A big part of Chicago’s surge has come since the addition of defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons. He stood out on nearly every defensive snap, and his presence has already changed the look of that unit.
He’s making life easier for everyone around him, too. Montez Sweat and Grady Jarrett are both benefiting, and the secondary has looked sharper because the pass rush has become such a problem.
Seattle’s offense had a rough night trying to deal with that pressure. On the other side, Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams kept their composure against a defense that usually makes life miserable.
The Bears had their difficult stretches, as expected, because nobody strings together easy drives against the Seahawks for long. Still, Chicago stayed efficient for most of the game, and Johnson clearly had the better plan in the matchup with Mike MacDonald.
Williams is also playing at a higher level than ever, helped by a deep group of targets that includes Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Khalif Raymond.
And while the passing game is drawing plenty of attention, Chicago’s rushing attack remains the foundation, with D’Andre Swift leading the way. That could get even better once Kyle Monangai returns.
The Bears have shown they belong in the Super Bowl contender conversation, and the 49ers are in that same mix. If these two teams end up meeting in the playoffs, it would be a matchup with plenty of firepower on both sides.
In Other News...
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Marsh, who transferred from Michigan State, is viewed as a big-bodied, physical pass catcher with a knack for winning contested throws, the kind of profile that fits a team looking for more stability on the perimeter. For San Francisco, the bigger concern is the present as much as the future, with injuries already thinning the depth chart and forcing the organization to keep one eye on how quickly the room can be rebuilt. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Deadline Buzz Centers On Two Roster Needs They Still Havent Fixed
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Jordan Schultz also pointed to ongoing interest around players such as George Pickens and Khalil Mack, while Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh added another layer to the Mack chatter. For San Francisco, the bigger question is whether the front office sees enough value to make a move before the deadline passes, especially with the club still being linked to help at receiver and along the pass rush. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Suddenly Hold A Trade Chip Baltimore Might Desperately Need
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Jones has done enough as a starter in 2023 to make him a plausible bridge option for a team in crisis, and San Francisco knows it has a valuable piece on its hands. The catch is that the 49ers have been reluctant to move him, and any deal would have to clear a steep hurdle before Baltimore could even think about making it work. [Read more 🡒]