Colston Loveland Leads Bears Who Could Win First All-Pro Award in 2026

Following a three-year stretch with just one All-Pro award, the Chicago Bears saw far more success in 2025. Three Bears earned All-Pro nods, with Joe Thuney and Kevin Byard III each earning their third first-team award, while Darnell Wright's All-Pro breakthrough marked his first NFL accolade. Will the Bears have another player earn their first All-Pro award in 2026?

Pro Football Focus (PFF) seems to thinks so. Writing for PFF, NFL analyst Bradley Locker compiled his list of 10 NFL players who could become first-time All-Pros in 2026, and Colston Loveland was the first name mentioned. "On an offense full of young, and somewhat unproven, playmakers, Chicago will assuredly continue to funnel the ball through the game-changing Loveland this season," Locker writes. "With Travis Kelce declining of late and George Kittle's status uncertain after suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs, Loveland should be firmly in the All-Pro mix alongside Trey McBride and Brock Bowers."

Colston Loveland's clutch gene showed up over and over as a rookie and has put him in a position to be quarterback Caleb Williams' top target going forward. That kind of workload puts Loveland in prime position for an All-Pro award, and he isn't even the only Bear with good odds of adding their first piece of NFL hardware to their trophy case at home in 2026. Here's four others, ranked by most likely to least likely.

1. Devin Bush

It's a mystery why Bush didn't win an All-Pro award last year when he finished the season with an elite 87.6 PFF grade, the fourth-best grade out of all linebackers, but 2026 presents a great opportunity to right that wrong. After signing a $30 million agreement with the Bears in free agency, Bush joins a defense that's motivated to turn the page from a rough 2025 season and become a championship caliber unit. If he continues his level of play from last year, he's almost a shoo-in for an All-Pro nod.

2. Caleb Williams

The only reason that Caleb Williams falls to No. 2 on this list is the sheer amount of All-Pro talent at the quarterback position. With only two quarterback slots for an All-Pro nod, Williams will have to beat such names as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson, all of whom have also won MVP awards.

Despite that, the former first-overall pick is almost certain to be in the running. Early reports from OTAs suggest that Caleb Williams is on course for a big Year 3, his second season in Ben Johnson's offense. If he takes another big step forward in his development and leads the Bears to a second straight division title, it's hard to see the voters selecting anyone else.

3. Montez Sweat

Sweat quietly had a good year for the Bears in 2025. He racked up 11 sacks and 54 total pressures through 17 games, finishing with a 71.2 PFF grade. Now in his second year with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and with an improved supporting cast around him, the table is set for Sweat to take another step forward and become an NFL All-Pro. However, as is the case with Williams, there are plenty of All-Pro worthy defensive ends, and breaking into that group will be a tall order for Sweat.

4. Dillon Thieneman

Let's end this list with a bold take. Dillon Thieneman was one of the best safeties in college football ever since he took the field as a true freshman at Purdue, and he miraculously fell to the Bears at the No. 25 pick. Thieneman may be starting the Bears' OTAs as a backup, but he's almost certainly going to be the starter opposite of Coby Bryant before long. And given his incredible speed and versatility, he's in line for a big role even as a rookie.

Not many rookies earn an All-Pro nod, but one thing Thieneman has working in his favor is the relative dearth of elite safeties in the NFL. With four slots open, an electric season on a good Bears team could be just enough to get Thieneman his first NFL accolade.

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