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Bear Digest

Exploring Greatest Unknowns for the 2026 Chicago Bears Season

Not every factor or situation can be accounted for when assessing an NFL season and three weeks out from training camp there are several facing the Bears.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson talks it out with quarterback Caleb Williams during the Bears' win over Dallas in 2025.
Ben Johnson talks it out with quarterback Caleb Williams during the Bears' win over Dallas in 2025. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Teams, fans and media spend an NFL offseason trying to analyze, collate, and make conclusions about change coming for the next season.

Pretty much everything from quarterback effectiveness to the eating facilities at the team's headquarters get scrutinized, although the NFL seems to have clamped down on letting people know what players think of the cafeteria and other aspects of what goes on behind the scenes with each team.

Everyone is familiar with the problems facing their team and the Bears have very easily identified issues.

However, there are some unknown elements in this year's Bears equation. When you toss these in with Caleb Williams' third year and second in the offense, better defensive health, and greater team speed, it's going to mean an end product some may or may not expect.

Here are the great unknowns about the coming 2026 Bears season three weeks out from the day veterans report for training camp, changes that are tough to gauge.

1. Lost leaders

Yes, in some respects DJ Moore was coming off two straight down seasons working with Williams. Tremaine Edmunds did not grade out high among NFL linebackers since he came over from Buffalo for $72 million, and Kevin Byard not only was going to be 33 but had given up as many touchdown passes last year as he made interceptions (7).

However, these veteran players provided guidance on and off the field for a young group of players who suddenly were thrust into key roles, like Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Kyle Monangai. Or they had to help bind together a group of backups through tough times caused by injuries. Especially Edmunds and Byard did this last season.

They're gone, and so, too, is safety Jaquan Brisker, who provided big emotional shots at times with his fiery play, even while making occasional mistakes.

And the offensive line lost a Pro Bowl center at the peak of his abilities. That's a position impacting the entire offense when it comes to leadership.

Can the Bears suddenly produce the kind of leadership lost with the departure of these veterans?

"It opens opportunities for other guys too," coach Ben Johnson said. "I think we have a number of players on this team that are listened to and their voices are well respected. Then we have a bunch of them that are just simply leaders by example.

"I feel like we'll fill that void and those guys will come to life. We'll get a feel over the course of camp who those guys are."

Leadership is internal. It grows from within the team. You don't get a leadership transplant, although it can occasionally happen the way it did with Byard, Moore, and Edmunds. Each came from elsewhere and eventually became Bears leaders to varying extents. It always takes time for growth to occur and time is a precious commodity in any NFL season.

2. New coaches' impact

What losing running backs coach Eric Bieniemy and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle does to the Bears is anyone's guess.

They've been replaced by two coaching veterans, but in Press Taylor's case if he had been the best choice for offensive coordinator then he would have been doing it last year. Because Taylor doesn't call plays, anyone using his past issues in Jacksonville or Philadelphia to project failure is probably not looking closely at what he'll do. He's not calling plays and, especially with the Jaguars, this had caused his problems. Still, there is his relationship in working with Williams to consider, as well.

With new backs coach Eric Studesville, following someone almost legendary for their success with backs is not going to be easy. Bieniemy had coached Adrian Peterson and a countless group of offensive players. His impact on rookie Kyle Monangai and even veteran D'Andre Swift was obvious. Studesville shouldn't be sold short, though, as the Dolphins were top six in rushing three of the past four years when he was running backs coach.

The impact of change here might not be obvious throughout an entire season. Then again, it could if there are problems.

3. Can an offensive line quickly re-assemble?

The offensive line has changed 40% since last season and they'll have training camp, preseason and had the entire offseason with the same group. So it's assumed they'll be ready.

However, last year they had the same amount of time and an extra minicamp involved, but following four games had to reinvent the line by first putting Theo Benedet at left tackle and then Ozzy Trapilo, after Braxton Jones' problems recovering from ankle surgery.

Considering how the offense took off once they finally could keep Williams protected and how effectively they ran the ball as the third-ranked rushing team a year after dropping to 28th, a cohesive group by the start of the season is critical. It's easy to wonder if it's even possible when a Pro Bowl center has been replaced by less effective veteran or by a rookie.

4. Higher completion percentage for Caleb Williams

It's anticipated Williams completion percentage improves from 58.1%, based on offensive familiarity alone. However, there is this emphasis on getting him to realize when he should avoid gambling and go for checkdowns.

When your success one year is based on some spectacular downfield completions, there's the chance a safer approach also mutes the big plays. If Williams is simply dumping it down instead of taking necessary risk, it's hard to see the offense ever accomplishes important statistics like yards per attempt or EPA.

5. Ben Johnson the hunted

Johnson took over with the natural benefit of being overlooked as a first-year coach, even if he was well known as an offensive genius. He proved every bit as gd at heading up an entire team as he did an offense but not much was expected of that team. They could sneak up on opponents, at first.

Also, Johnson often benefited often from the us-against-the-world mentality. No one believed in them and everyone expected they would fold. This is an easy approach for a coach to support. This year it isn't necessarily true, even if it appears Johnson is already circling the wagons again by pointing out how ESPN ranked their starting lineup only 17th best.

Johnson will need to do some real coaching this year without the natural mental crutches a first-year coach with a rebuilding team receives. Can he adjust his game.

As big in this regard is how will he handle it strategically now with four years in the division under his belt, and a full year calling the plays and the shots?

"I mean, you're always looking to evolve," Johnson said during minicamp. "There's trends that go on in this league that you try to stay on the forefront of, but football in its essence is still about the fundamentals. And I think those building blocks and those pillars we don't waiver from."

It's not easy to keep coming up with fresh material, though, whether it's to fool opponents or to motivate your own team. There are limits.

Once you've been taking your shirt off to motivate people, what's left. Mike Singletary took off his pants and look what happened to his coaching career.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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