7 way too early Chicago Bears bold predictions for the 2025 NFL season

Since I’m a football masochist, I did a deep dive into my Chicago Bears bold predictions from 2024. It wasn’t pretty.

Some lowlights:

Week 9 vs. Arizona: Caleb Williams Will Get Sacked Zero Times

Caleb Williams got sacked six times. Whoopsie daisy.

Week 16 vs. Seattle: Cole Kmet Will Lead Chicago In Receptions

Zero targets. Zero receptions. Zero correct predictions.

Week 6 vs. Jacksonville: Montez Sweat Will Be Montez Sweat

If one solo tackle and half a sack is Sweat being Sweat, then sure, I nailed it.

That all being the case, you’ll need to take the below seven boldies with a grain of salt. But that’s why we call ‘em bold, amirite?

1) Caleb Williams Will Break Chicago’s 4,000-Yard QB Curse

As requested, more Caleb Williams edits pic.twitter.com/UAIYaNpivm
— Brice (@Brice_DaBomb) November 26, 2024

It’s been well-documented—too well-documented, actually—that in their 105 years as a franchise, no Bears quarterback has ever compiled over 4,000 yards in a single season. (FWIW, Erik Kramer came closest in 1995 with 3,838.)

In his two seasons running a Ben Johnson scheme, Detroit Lions signal caller Jared Goff racked up an average of 4,601 yards. Last season, running a Shane Waldron/Thomas Brown scheme, Bears signal caller Caleb Williams racked up 3,541 yards.

Taking that into account, Johnson should be creative enough to get Williams the 500 yards that’ll put him over the edge.

2) Two Bears Pass Catchers Will Rack Up 1,000 Yards

A personnel package with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland can theoretically create so many mismatches. They can counter whatever the defense shows.

Linebackers on Burden in the slot and corners covering Loveland up the seam.

I see the vision.
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) May 1, 2025

If Williams throws for 4,000 yards, it would stand to reason that his pass-catchers will catch for 4,000 yards (#logic).

Yes, the Bears have plenty of receivers who’ll need to eat (D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, the rookies, the running backs, three random dudes who Johnson'll incorporate into a trick play, and so on), but two will get bigger meals.

So Moore and Odunze will do something akin to what Amon-Ra St. Brown (1,263 yards) and Jameson Williams (1,001) pulled off last year in Detroit. And a wild celebration shall ensue.

3) D’Andre Swift Won’t Be the Starting Running Back By Week 6

I am going to draft so much Kyle Monangai. Going to do all the little things that D’Andre Swift has never done. Does not fumble. Good route-runner and pass-catcher.

When Ben Johnson remembers he hates Swift, this is the dude toting the rock for a revamped Bears offense.
— Anthony Amico (@amicsta) April 26, 2025

In 2024, Swift rushed for 959 yards, the 15th most of all running backs who started at least 12 games. In a Ben Johnson offense, that won’t get it done. Hell, in any offense, that won’t get it done.

My favorite to become Chicago’s new lead back isn’t yet on the roster. (Nick Chubb, maybe?) My dark horse is rookie seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai.

Either will be an improvement

4) Montez Sweat Will Not Lead the Team In Sacks

The Chicago Bears need to find a solid complement for their star edge rusher, Montez Sweat, to bolster their pass rush, which showed improvement in 2024 but still ranks below average in sack percentage and quarterback hits.
— Game Time Sports (@JLauer18551) March 3, 2025

Thanks to some sweet free agent signings, the Bears have an honest-to-goodness D-line. Sure, the Steel Curtain, they’re not, but Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., and Dayo Odeyingbo make for a relatively formidable foursome.

Sweat is the marquee name, and will see more than his fair share of double teams, leaving elbow room for his running buddies. Last year, Tez managed a pedestrian 5.5 sacks, a number that Odeyingbo or Jarrett should be able to top without much problem.

5) Jaylon Johnson Will Not Lead the Team In Interceptions

1st career interception for @kyler_gordon came in primetime on a one-handed snag#TurnoverTuesday | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/rWnHn0J7qI
— Bear Down Blog (@BearDown_Blog) July 23, 2024

Johnson was a beast last season. Or was he?

PFF graded him out at 76.2, 19th among all cornerbacks. And his 85.7 passer rating allowed ranked 45th in the league.

But he was a second-team All-Pro, so he must’ve been doing something right.

And that something right will translate into quarterbacks avoiding throwing in his direction in 2025, leaving plenty of opportunity for the Kyler Gordons and the Jaquan Briskers of the world. And keep an eye on rookie Zah Frazier, a college ballhawk who could find himself in the rotation sooner than later.

6) Tory Taylor Will Finish Top-Three in Punting Average

After being selected in the fourth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Taylor was eminently meh, ending the year with an average of 47.7 yards per punt, ranking him 14th in the league, the literal definition of mediocrity.

This season, he’ll evolve into the field-flipper everybody enjoyed while he was at Iowa, and will thus shut up pundits (e.g., me) who still rag on GM Ryan Poles for the selection.

7) Chicago Will Sweep the Green Bay Packers

Packers fans playing Lambeau Leap defense on Cairo Santos and the Bears. pic.twitter.com/phBUeph8FF
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) January 6, 2025

The Bears haven’t beaten the Packers twice in a single season since 2007…but last year, they upset them at Lambeau Field—and that was with the wildly overmatched Thomas Brown at interim coach.

Ben Johnson, thank goodness, isn’t Thomas Brown.

Amping up the fun factor, Johnson and Matt LeFleur have already been beefing, so we’ll see plenty of bad blood. We’ll also see Jordan Love getting sacked and intercepted a whole bunch, thus we’ll also see a whole lot of Bears fans throwing a whole lot of shade north towards the Badger state.