Why the Bears Are Falling in 2026 NFL Power Rankings

They say that one man's trash is another man's treasure, and in the same vein, it could be said that one NFL analyst's successful free agency period is another analyst's strikeout. Earlier this week, the Chicago Bears were labeled a 'success-builder' after the first wave of free agency by Jourdan Rodrigue, a senior NFL writer at The Athletic. In her assessment, the Bears spent free agency taking smart, measured steps towards building a team that can compete for Super Bowls. Those steps included a minor trade for center Garrett Bradbury to replace Drew Dalman and re-signing Braxton Jones to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million.

Her glass-half-full optimism, however, does not seem to be widely shared. Eric Edholm, a lead draft writer for NFL Media, recently published his 2026 NFL free agency power rankings, and he dropped the Bears two spots to No. 9. Likewise, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports published his own free agency edition NFL power rankings, and he dropped the Bears one spot, also to No. 9.

Both writers have similar concerns about how Chicago fared in free agency. Edholm writes, "It's been a little bit of a mixed bag in free agency so far for the Bears, who have made more noise in recent offseasons. Devin Bush replacing Tremaine Edmunds and Coby Bryant replacing Kevin Byard could end up a wash, or maybe a tiny upgrade... but the Bears are being prudent and holding serve well enough for now."

Prisco offered a more blunt assessment, writing, "After center Drew Dalman retired, they traded for Garrett Bradbury to fill that role, which is a downgrade. Left tackle is also a concern. They also didn't address the pass-rush help they need."

These concerns are valid. Chicago entered the offseason with serious concerns at left tackle, and Drew Dalman's shocking retirement only made things worse for the offensive line, and neither spot has been adequately addressed. Furthermore, their pass rush remains lackluster and now they're rebuilding their secondary from scratch. Taking it all together, it's hard to see a future right now where the Bears don't regress a bit in the 2026 NFL season.

The Chicago Bears have earned the benefit of the doubt

What's most notable about Chicago's place in these power rankings, however, has to be where they ended up rather than how far they've fallen. In both lists, the Bears stand at No. 9 despite a quiet, somewhat polarizing free agency period. While they may be trending in the wrong direction, this shows me that NFL analysts are buying what the Bears are selling.

If anyone thought that Chicago's success last year, which included clinching the 2025 NFC North championship, was a fluke, they wouldn't have the Bears in the Top 10 of their power rankings. Especially not after their biggest free agency swings were either slight downgrades or lateral moves, at best. The Bears have finally earned the benefit of the doubt, and analysts are willing to trust that head coach Ben Johnson will maximize whatever talent he's given by general manager Ryan Poles.

Dennis Allen, Ryan Poles, and Ben Johnso — Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL draft will tell us plenty about what to expect from the Bears

Of course, we know by now that Poles prefers to build through the draft, and after trading receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, he is armed with four selections in the Top 100. On top of that, this year's draft class is expected to be deep at Chicago's biggest positions of need (defensive linemen and defensive backs), with several Day 1 starters to be found in Round 2 and even Round 3.

Obviously, free agency power rankings are way too early to take too seriously, especially when arguably the biggest indicator of what to expect from teams in 2026 is still on the horizon. Bears fans shouldn't worry too much about where they stand in these rankings just yet. Let the draft come, see how the depth chart fully shakes out, and then we can start to theorize about how high the Bears should be placed.

The Chicago Bears have earned the benefit of the doubt

The 2026 NFL draft will tell us plenty about what to expect from the Bears

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