Predicting Where Chicago Bears Players Land on the NFL's Top 100 List

With the Bears coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory, they might have a greater presence on the NFL's annual Top 100 Players list this year. Where might they land on the list?

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

The NFL's annual Top 100 list, which will begin airing later this month, is always an unquestioned ranking system without a hint of controversy. Just kidding; it's literally always controversial.

With players being responsible for the voting, some believe it's more of a popularity contest than anything else. At the same time, that fact also makes it a quality metric for how highly players are viewed around the league.

Speaking of respect (and controversy), Caleb Williams managed to stay in the headlines with the NFL dropping the Top 100 preview on Monday. This time, it had nothing to do with a podcast appearance or the Madden cover. It was actually Micah Parsons seemingly mentioning "the Iceman" among players talking about who they think will land at the top of the list.

NFL Top 100 Players of 2026... coming soon. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Bo0vGfnipP

— NFL (@NFL) June 8, 2026

Unfortunately, Parsons has since debunked the praise as "clip farming". Still, it's safe to assume that he will be hyping up his division rival on the list, and that fact alone should be enough to anger Packer fans. It will be joyous when he is hyping up Williams, regardless of the context or where the Iceman finds himself on the list.

I thought it would be fun to guess how many Chicago Bears will be featured this year, and where they'll rank among their peers. However, it's important to note that these predictions aren't indicative of what players I think are deserving of a spot on the list. As a homer, I could find room for Jaylon Johnson (who somehow has never been featured), D'Andre Swift, and Jonah Jackson.

Colston Loveland: 100-90

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) runs after the catch as Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) defends during the second half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Call me crazy, but I think Colston Loveland's late-season surge could help him sneak into the back of this year's Top 100 list. He looked like one of the best TEs in the league over the second half of the year and was second only to Trey McBride in receiving yards from Week 9 onward.

There are always a few rookies who make the list (seven made the cut last season), and it's difficult to find many rooks more deserving than Loveland. The only players I could see being on it over him are Nick Emmanwori, Carson Schwesinger, Tetairoa McMillan, and James Pearce Jr. If five rookies make this year's list, then Loveland should be one of them.

At the same time, it might be one year too soon for Loveland to receive the Top 100 love from his peers. He's a relative lock to be featured next offseason if he continues on his current trajectory, though. Caleb Williams' favorite target is due for a massive sophomore season.

Darnell Wright: 90-80

Jan 5, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Darnell Wright (58) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Darnell Wright enjoyed a breakout season that saw him ascend to one of the top right tackles in the entire league. While he may have gotten snubbed from the Pro Bowl due to playing in a conference with a lot of big names at the position, he was named a second-team All-Pro (which is a MUCH bigger accomplishment) for the first time in his career.

Seven offensive tackles made the list last year, and a few of them didn't have nearly as dominant of a season as Wright did this year. Regardless of the returning tackles on this year's list, I think they'll find room for the 25-year-old. He played the best football of his career despite playing through a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL). That type of toughness usually garners significant respect among the league.

Joe Thuney: 60-50

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney (62) celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Interior offensive linemen generally don't get much love on the Top 100 list. In fact, no guards even made the list last year. Joe Thuney seems like a safe bet to be the exception to that rule, though.

Thuney is quiet, so that usually doesn't do players many favors on these lists (wherever he lands, it'll probably be far too low). Still, he helped completely turn around Chicago's offensive line after the team traded for him last offseason, and was named the NFL's inaugural Offensive Lineman of the Year Award in the process.

I think he'll find himself comfortably near the middle of the list. If players were graded on pure impact without any added factors, he probably wouldn't make it out of the top 40.

Caleb Williams: 40-30

Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes the ball against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Caleb Williams has suddenly become one of the most marketable players in the entire league. That's not really surprising, considering the fact that he enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign in which he showed a knack for turning into Superman (or Iceman) with the game on the line, and proved to be capable of making plays that only he could make.

The fact that Parsons was featured talking about Williams in the advertisement for the list all but guarantees that he will be on it. When you factor in the entertainment value, and that Williams was a regular in the NFL's weekly highlight reel, I think he's got a good chance to land pretty high among his peers.

Williams will become the second Bears quarterback to be featured on the list, and it feels safe to assume that he'll have to wait a lot longer than Justin Fields (who was ranked 86th on the list in 2023) did to hear his name.

Bonus (former friend): Kevin Byard III: 90-80

Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) runs with the ball after making an interception against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bears lost a few (extremely productive) free agents on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Tremaine Edmunds and Nahshon Wright both stuffed the stat sheets, but I don't think either player has earned enough respect in league circles to make the Top 100 Players list.

The same can't be said for Kevin Byard III, though. The 32-year-old had a resurgent season in which he led the league in interceptions (7) while playing the role of the wily veteran on the back end of Chicago's defense. He earned the third All-Pro nod of his career and was also selected to the Pro Bowl.

While the Bears completely revamped their safety room with an infusion of youth and athleticism this offseason, it's easy to root for Byard when it comes to the Top 100 list. He's certainly deserving of a spot among his peers.