Top 26 Chicago Bears of 2026: Ranking Every Player Based on Impact

Chicago Bears fans may still be raving about their unexpectedly successful 2025 season, but head coach Ben Johnson doesn't want to hear about it anymore. He's turned the page to the 2026 season, and the players have, too. They have their sights set on higher achievements than an NFC North division title. Bringing a Super Bowl title back to Chicago remains the goal, and it's something that Tyson Bagent believes Caleb Williams will soon produce.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams celebrates after a Black Friday night game. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The long road to the Super Bowl starts with the defense

The Bears have a lot of work to do if they're going to realize that goal in 2026. The defense may have led the league last year in takeaways, but nothing else about the defense worked well. As a unit, the Bears registered just 35 sacks, the seventh worst number in the NFL. They gave up 361.8 yards and 24.4 points per game, good for fourth worst and tenth worst in the NFL, respectively.

To fix these problems, the Bears have remade much of their defensive personnel, particularly in the back-seven. They released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds ahead of free agency and replaced him with Devin Bush. Each of their top safeties signed with other teams in free agency, replaced by first-round pick Dillon Thieneman and veteran Coby Bryant. The Bears added plenty of speed across the board, hoping that this will help them bring down quarterbacks and plug running lanes faster than last year.

Chicago Bears safety Dillon Thieneman at the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Retooling and refining Ben Johnson's offense

As explosive as it was in 2025, the Bears' offense needs plenty of work, as well. Caleb Williams' accuracy in Ben Johnson's offense is a focal point this year. The offensive line will have to survive left tackle Ozzy Trapilo's lengthy absence as he heals from a ruptured patellar tendon in January as well as center Drew Dalman's shocking retirement. Rome Odunze faces a critical year after injuries hampered his sophomore season, and Colston Loveland will try to build on his fantastic second-half of last season.

And, of course, the coaches themselves have their own issues to work out. Ben Johnson's fourth-down offense was not nearly good enough compared to other coaches, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has said that fixing the Bears' pass rush starts with him.

Ranking the Bears' Top 26 players by impact

With the 2026 season still several weeks away, the Bears on SI has analyzed the Bears' roster and ranked the Top 25 players by impact. These will be the guys who, if the Bears are to compete for a Super Bowl title in 2026, will have to lead the way.

Each day, another player's individual breakdown will be posted to Bears on SI, and the link will be added to the bottom of this article. Remember, this list will be based on each player's projected impact for 2026. We'll be updating the rankings in this post, but you'll see each individual article appear on the site.

Chicago Bears fans hold up a sign at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, WI. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Top 26 Most Impactful Bears of 2026

26 - CB Malik Muhammad

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