Mike Singletary Says Bears Have ‘Nowhere To Go But Up’ After Exciting 2025

The Hall-of-Fame Bears linebacker loved what he saw from Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams this year.

Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Former Chicago Bear linebacker Mike Singletary holds the Super Bowl Twenty trophy during half time at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

After years of mediocrity and half-measures, the Chicago Bears came back to life in the 2025-26 season, and brought the whole city along with them.

A number of former players enjoyed the ride this year, too, and say there are even better things in store later. Among them: Hall-of-Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, the man in the middle of the greatest defense to take a football field.

Catching up with WGN’s Jarrett Payton, son of Singletary’s fellow Hall-of-Fame teammate Walter, the ex-Bears great and former coach could hardly contain his excitement talking about the Bears’ resurgent season: “That was really cool to see the city come alive and come around the team, and really have a chance to get a feel for that playoff feeling again,” he said.

On top of that, the 67-year-old Singletary offered copious praise to first-year head coach Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who brought a new edge to the Bears organization in 2025.

“When I look at Ben Johnson and what he’s been able to do, you look at the turnaround as to when he left Detroit and where Detroit is now, and where the Bears are now that he’s there,” he added. “Then, I think Caleb Williams really did some extraodinary things this year. … Next year, if they can build on this year in any way, it’s going to be tremendously exciting. I’m really excited to see that.

“They have nowhere to go but up. So I’m excited to see the direction that it goes.”

Singletary has been in Johnson’s shoes before, having been a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and knows the challenge of keeping the momentum going. From that standpoint, I’m sure he knows good things aren’t destined to continue.

But it’s also refreshing and gratifying to see a Bears legend this invested in the team he starred for, something we’ve seen a lot throughout this past season from likes of Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and Olin Kreutz, to name a few.

As for what he wants to see the Bears improving this year, Singletary unsurprisingly had a hard-nosed diagnosis: learn how to stop the run, first and foremost. Though his use of the Dallas Cowboys, who finished this season 32nd in points allowed, as an example of how to build a defense, the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are a much better testimant to what he’s talking about.

Given that he won a ring by doing just that, it’s hard to argue the point. 

And hopefully, he’s right about the Bears in 2026.

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