Bears' Elite Young Core Puts Chicago in Position to Snap Decades-Long Streak

The Chicago Bears have one of the best young cores in the NFL and that shows the team is ready to at least be a perennial playoff team.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears had a successful 2025 campaign. Now it's time for the franchise to have sustained success by getting back to the playoffs in 2026.

The Bears have been allergic to sustained success over the last few decades. That's evident by the fact that the Bears haven't been able to make the playoffs two years in a row.

Since they made back-to-back playoff trips in 2005 and 2006, the Bears have missed the postseason after each of their previous three trips before 2025.

But with an impressive core of young players that ranked second in the "young core" rankings of Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, the Bears are in a good position to at least be a perennial postseason team for the foreseeable future.

Knox lists Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Darnell Wright, D'Andre Swift, Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Coby Bryant and Luther Burden III as Chicago's young core.

"[Caleb] Williams, who led seven fourth-quarter comebacks in 2025, easily matched the hype he generated in the previous year as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft," Knox wrote.

"The Bears have several other young stars who look to be core players for the foreseeable future," Knox added. "The list includes former stars on both sides of the ball, like wideout Rome Odunze, tackle Darnell Wright, and cornerback Jaylen Johnson."

Knox goes on to say that if the Bears can get contributions from rookies such as Dillon Thieneman and Sam Roush, "the Bears could soon become perennial title contenders."

More young players to watch

Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The only player we wouldn't include in Knox's list of young core players is Stevenson, who struggled mightily in 2025 and could end up on the bench in 2026.

If we were to point to an important rookie this coming season, it's cornerback Malik Muhammad, who is clearly the second-most important first-year player for the Bears after Thieneman.

That's because Muhammad will be competing with Stevenson for a starting job in Year 1. The hope is that Muhammad can win that job and provide the upgrade opposite Johnson Chicago needs.

"For sure. For sure. That's the only mindset I have," Muhammad said when asked if he has his eye on a starting job.

The Bears also need big contributions from unproven guys like Burden, who is stepping into a bigger role with DJ Moore gone, and Austin Booker, who posted 4.5 sacks in 2025.

Booker's emergence is crucial for a Bears pass-rush that finished with the seventh-fewest sacks last season and doesn't have a sure starting solution opposite Montez Sweat.