Chicago Bears (Last Year: 5-12)
2025 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
QB Case Keenum, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, G Joe Thuney, G Jonah Jackson, C Drew Dalman, DE Dayo Odeyingbo, DT Grady Jarrett.
Early Draft Picks:
TE Colston Loveland, WR Luther Burden, OT Ozzy Trapilo, DT Shemar Turner, LB Ruben Hyppolite. Bears Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
WR Keenan Allen, TE Gerald Everett, TE Marcedes Lewis, OT Larry Borom, G Teven Jenkins, C Coleman Shelton, DE DeMarcus Walker, DE Jacob Martin, DT Byron Cowart, LB Jack Sanborn.
2025 Chicago Bears Offense:
Caleb Williams had some bright moments in his rookie year, but his initial NFL season was an overall disappointment. It was defined by two things. The first was when he appeared to have a complete mental lapse at the end of the Thanksgiving game, letting the clock run out at the end of regulation while trailing despite having timeouts available. Head coach Matt Eberflus was blamed for this and lost his job because of it, but Williams was guilty of the very same thing several weeks later in a Thursday night loss versus the Seahawks. New head coach Ben Johnson, known as being an offensive mastermind, should get the most out of Williams and prevent something like this from happening again.
The second thing that defined Williams’ rookie campaign was that he held the ball for an eternity in the pocket. He was sacked a league-high 68 times as a result. Because of this huge flaw in Williams’ game, Chicago’s front office decided that bolstering the offensive line was a priority. The interior was completely revamped, as the Bears initially traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and then signed Drew Dalman. Thuney is an elite guard who has shown that he can play left tackle well in a pinch. Jackson has talent, but has spent lots of time dealing with injuries, so it’s unclear if he’ll be 100 percent. Dalman, meanwhile, is an excellent center.
The Bears weren’t done with their offensive line despite these three interior additions. They used a second-round pick on Ozzy Trapilo, who will provide great insurance behind Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Both Jones and Wright performed at a high level last year, but Jones has missed 11 total games in the past two years.
The front office spent some energy improving Williams’ arsenal. Olamide Zaccheaus was signed, but the big addition came in the opening round of the 2025 NFL Draft when Chicago selected Colston Loveland. Cole Kmet was already on the roster, but the Loveland addition will allow Johnson to utilize two-tight end formations. Keenan Allen is gone from last year, but the Bears still maintained their two talented outside receivers, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze. They should be more productive with Johnson coaching up Williams. Another receiver, Luther Burden, was taken in the second round. Burden has promise, but has been injured throughout mini-camp.
The Bears were expected to pursue Ashton Jeanty in a trade or spend a second-round pick on a running back, but neither happened. In fact, Chicago didn’t address the position at all until the seventh round, so unless there’s a veteran signing, Johnson will utilize the two-man rotation of D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Swift played for Ben Johnson in Detroit, so the familiarity will certainly help. Roschon Johnson was used on the goal line last year, though it remains to be seen if Ben Johnson will utilize Roschon Johnson in a David Montgomery-type role.
2025 Chicago Bears Defense:
The Bears spent lots of energy on the offensive line, but they didn’t ignore a defensive front in need of repair either. They obtained three new players to help a defense that ranked 27th in yards allowed.
Chicago signed two veterans in free agency to bolster a front that didn’t have a single player log more than 5.5 sacks. Dayo Odeyingbo was the primary addition. He’s a talented, young edge rusher who should complement Montez Sweat well. Sweat had the team lead with those 5.5 sacks, but he’s capable of much more. Following a down year, Sweat could bounce back to his normal form.
The other free agency addition was in the interior, as Grady Jarrett, formerly of the Falcons, was signed. Jarrett was once a dominant defensive tackle, but at 32, he’s been on the decline lately. It’s possible that the Bears could squeeze one more solid season out of him. Jarrett is expected to start next to Gervon Dexter, who had a solid season with five sacks. Jarrett will have to fend off second-round rookie Shemar Turner for a starting job. Turner is a raw player who needs to get stronger for the pros, but he has great upside.
The Bears didn’t do anything to change the rest of their defense, though the fans likely wanted an upgrade at cornerback. Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon were an excellent tandem last year, with Gordon covering the slot in terrific fashion. However, No. 2 corner Tyrique Stevenson struggled. Infamously known for taunting the crowd just prior to Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary victory, Stevenson was burned often last year.
While Chicago didn’t add anyone to the secondary, it’ll get a boost with Jaquan Brisker returning from injury. Brisker missed 12 games with his third concussion in as many years, so he’s certainly a risk to be knocked out again. However, Brisker is a talented player who will help while on the field. He’ll start next to the talented, but rapidly aging Kevin Byard.
The linebacking corps didn’t change either, save for a fourth-round selection used on Ruben Hyppolite. Chicago didn’t need to do much, as T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are a talented duo. Neither player had his best year, but both have performed much better in the past. Improved play at defensive tackle should help.
2025 Chicago Bears Schedule and Intangibles:
Cairo Santos was one of the top kickers in the NFL last year. His 21-of-25 stat line may not look amazing, but he was 8-of-9 from 50-plus.
In an effort to fix their punting problems, the Bears reached for a punter in fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Tory Taylor out of Iowa. Taylor was 21st in net punting average, but did well to pin the opposition inside the 20.
The Bears have the luxury of navigating through a last-place schedule. They get to beat up on the Giants, Raiders, Saints, Cowboys, and Browns, though they have some tough games against the Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, and Redskins.
2025 Chicago Bears Rookies:
Go here for the Bears Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.
2025 Chicago Bears Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
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Projection: 7-10 (4th in NFC North)
2024 Projection: 9-8. 2024 Actual Result: 5-12.
2023 Projection: 7-10. 2023 Actual Result: 7-10.
2022 Projection: 1-16. 2022 Actual Result: 3-14.
2021 Projection: 6-11. 2021 Actual Result: 6-11.
2020 Projection: 3-13. 2020 Actual Result: 8-8.
2019 Projection: 11-5. 2019 Actual Result: 8-8.
2018 Projection: 10-6. 2018 Actual Result: 12-4.
2017 Projection: 4-12. 2017 Actual Result: 5-11.
2016 Projection: 8-8. 2016 Actual Result: 3-13.
NFL Draft Team Grade: B Grade
Goals Entering the 2025 NFL Draft: Caleb Williams had some bright moments as a rookie, but those were overshadowed by some embarrassing situations, namely the collapses at the end of the Thanksgiving game and the Thursday night battle versus the Seahawks. Chicago responded by hiring Ben Johnson and finding three upgrades on the offensive line. The Bears are set up for a better 2025 campaign, but they need to replace Keenan Allen and spend multiple upgrades on a weak defensive line. Improving Williams’ supporting cast is paramount.
2025 NFL Draft Accomplishments: I can’t say I was a big fan of the Colston Loveland selection. Drafting Loveland, who may not have even been the best tight end on the board, felt like a luxury on a team one piece away from a Super Bowl would make. The Bears already had Cole Kmet, and while they could run two-tight end formations, the front office could have made more helpful selections elsewhere.
The Bears rebounded from the Loveland pick with two outstanding Day 2 choices. Luther Burden and Ozzy Trapilo were both stellar values who should be able to help Caleb Williams. With all of this new weaponry and blocking, there won’t be any excuses for Williams next year.
Despite a strong second day, the Bears didn’t draft very well on Saturday. They reached and wasted two picks, and they had just one selection that scored higher than a “B” on Day 3.
Overall, Chicago did a fine job in this draft. There were definitely some whiffs, but the team strengthened Williams’ support system, which was the primary goal.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
10. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan – D Grade
Uhh… did the Bears know that Tyler Warren was available? Why would they draft the second-best player at the position when the best one was there for the taking? This pick provides poor value and doesn’t fill a need. This is a poor pick, but not quite worthy of being a Millen.
39. Luther Burden, WR, Missouri – A+ Grade
The Bears lost Keenan Allen, so another receiver makes sense. Especially one as talented as Luther Burden. No one would have had an issue with a team drafting Burden in the 20s, and yet Chicago stole him at No. 39. This is an outstanding value that fills a need. Thus, Chicago’s selection should be graded highly.
56. Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College – A Grade
The Bears signed three interior offensive linemen this offseason, but they still needed a tackle. They found one in Ozzy Trapilo, whom we projected very early in the second round. I love the value here for the Bears, who have added enough blockers that Caleb Williams will be able to spend hours in the pocket waiting to be sacked.
62. Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M – B Grade
Outside of the offensive line, the defensive interior was Chicago’s biggest weakness entering the offseason. Shemar Turner is a bit of a project, but he has lots of upside and could end up being a very good player for Chicago. The range is about right here for Turner.
132. Ruben Hyppolite, LB, Maryland – C Grade
The Bears needed some linebacker depth, so Ruben Hyppolite makes sense from that perspective. He was projected as a seventh-round prospect, but he has upside, so this pick could end up being a success.
169. Zah Frazier, CB, Texas-San Antonio – B+ Grade
The Bears needed cornerback help. Zah Frazier was one of the fastest cornerbacks at the combine, and he has plenty of upside. He could eventually emerge as a starter for Chicago.
195. Luke Newman, G, Michigan State – C- Grade
Luke Newman is someone I didn’t have on my board at all. He started at guard for Michigan State last year, but he didn’t seem like a draftable prospect. He also doesn’t fill any sort of need.
233. Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers – B Grade
D’Andre Swift was a huge winner in the draft because the Bears waited until the final round to draft a running back. Kyle Monangai was expected to go in this area. He was highly productive for Rutgers last year.
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