Pro Football Focus lists a clear 2026 New Year’s resolution for the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have had a fantastic 2025, but this New Year's resolution could make 2026 even better.

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The Chicago Bears have had quite the 2025 calendar year. It started with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach, and continued into a regular season that's shocked the NFL.

The Bears are an 11-win team and the kings of the NFC North. They've secured no worse than the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs, and are riding the wave of a young franchise quarterback who's on track to break the team's single-season passing records in Week 18.

So, yeah; 2025 has been great to the Bears.

But that doesn't mean it can't get better in 2026. And by better, I mean a legit run at the Super Bowl that doesn't catch anyone by surprise.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears' biggest 2026 New Year's resolution should be to pay some attention to the defensive side of the ball. Namely, Ryan Poles must add a pass rusher.

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"The partnership between Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams has the Bears trending toward legitimate playoff contention, but a lack of consistent pass rush threatens to cap that upside," PFF's Zach Tantillo wrote. "Chicago’s defensive line ranks near the bottom of the NFL in both total pressures and pressure rate and sits 25th in sacks, making edge and interior pass-rush reinforcements a clear offseason priority.

It's not like the Bears are completely devoid of pass rushers. Montez Sweat is still a very competent edge defender. He's entering Week 18 with 9.5 sacks, three shy of his career high (12.5) that he set in 2023.

He had six of those 12.5 sacks with the Bears after he was acquired by trade.

Still, the point remains. For the Chicago Bears to take that next step and become one of the NFL's elite teams, they must put the fear of God in opposing quarterbacks. It's safe to say that's not the case right now.

I'd expect the Bears to invest their first-round pick and a hefty free agency contract into pass rushers, even after the now frustrating deal that was given to Dayo Odeyingbo last offseason.

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