Bears Open 2026 As Major Super Bowl Underdogs Despite Big Season

If you’re a Bears fan, you have to love how much they’re being underestimated heading into next season.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the third quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

I swear, the NFL wants the Chicago Bears to take a wrecking ball to the league next season.

Snubbing Ben Johnson for Coach of the Year. Constantly knocking Caleb Williams down a peg when they re-evaluate the 2024 quarterback class (though I don’t think that’s going to keep happening after Drake Maye’s Super Bowl performance). 

Now, the odds-makers are disrespecting them again heading into next season.

Despite making the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Bears are opening up 2026 ranked 15th in DraftKings’ updated Super Bowl odds. You read that right: 15th, sandwiched between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals with +2500 odds to win it all next year. (The newly crowned champion Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, whom Seattle beat in the NFC Championship game, lead the early field at +950 each.)

I know the NFC proved much tougher than the AFC this year and that the Bears played in arguably the toughest division in the sport this year. But continuing to undervalue the Bears as a real Super Bowl contender seems crazy after everything we just saw. In fact, if you’re counting at him, giving them the 15th-best odds to win a title basically suggests they might not even be a playoff team in 2026. Anything can happen, but…wow.

That said, this is perfect for the Bears.

You already know Johnson’s pathologically competitive self is salivating over all the bulletin board material he and this team have been getting, and that he and Williams will be in the lab all winter scheming up ways to get this team over the top. Plus, with a dynamic young core on offense, this squad isn’t going anywhere. Improve the defense, and the 2026 Bears could be a major problem.

But, despite all the signs, the betting books are letting them fly under the radar again, not realizing that you should never give psychos more motivation to prove you wrong. Oh well. Do so at your own peril. I, for one, can't wait to see what devious stuff Johnson, Williams, and this band of angry Bears have in store for the NFL next season.

More Chicago Bears News:

• Matt Forte Is Fully Embracing The Bears' New-found Packers Hate

• Bears Players Are All-In On Ben Johnson’s Mentality Heading Into 2026

• Why Chicago Bears Shouldn’t Fear Coaching Brain Drain

• New ‘1920 Football Drive’ Clip Shows Growth Of Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams’ Bond