With an emphatic win Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks, the Chicago Bears have launched into the Super Bowl contender conversation.
This team is for real. They have a great quarterback and coach. Their defense has been elevated with the addition of Jeffery Simmons.
The team has fought the regression narrative. They’ve fought the “yeah but…” caveats that came with their wins and the “but what about…” that came with the losses.
Now they have to work against the hype and the target on their back.
How high are they in this week’s rankings?
WCG – Aaron Leming
7. Chicago Bears (6-2)
Deadline Status (and needs): Buyers
Defense was a need going into the offseason, and it remained a need heading into the season. Despite playing better than expected, it made sense that Chicago was still an impact piece (or two) away from being considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Even after adding Jeffery Simmons, additional defensive line help or a starting-caliber cornerback should still be a priority. Another sneaky need: tight end depth, following the season-ending injury to Cole Kmet.
The Athletic – Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
4. Chicago Bears (6-2)
Last week: 5
Monday: Beat Seahawks 34-17
Reality check: The bull’s-eye is on them now
The addition of Jeffery Simmons paid immediate dividends for the Bears defense. The new defensive tackle, acquired from Tennessee for two first-round picks, had six tackles and a sack on Monday night. Caleb Williams became the first quarterback this season to throw for more than 200 yards against the Seahawks, and the offense put up the most overall yards (363) of anyone this season against Seattle. The Bears are officially contenders.
Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab
4. Chicago Bears (6-2, LW: 5)
Biggest need: Still defense, though the big move was made
The Bears’ front office understood the assignment. Chicago traded two first-round draft picks to Tennessee for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. If there’s a bigger move at the deadline from any team, it’ll be a surprise. Simmons is exactly what the Bears’ defense needed as a disruptor on the line, and he notched a sack in his Chicago debut on Monday night against Seattle. Chicago clearly feels like it’s a contender now and was willing to sacrifice some high future draft picks for a shot at making a deep playoff run.
That doesn’t mean the Bears should be done on defense, though any other move wouldn’t be major. A mid-round draft pick for pass rushing help would continue to improve the defensive front. A reunion with Khalil Mack would make a ton of sense. But make no mistake: The Bears already made their all-in move.
“Super Bowl teams all have what we call a ‘red-level’ interior defensive lineman,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said of the Simmons trade, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “You need one.
“We’ve been searching, but sometimes the draft doesn’t provide that to you. Free agency doesn’t really [provide them]; it’s very hard for guys to get out of the building when they have all of those things that we’re talking about. [Simmons] was an opportunity that we had to jump on.”
NFL.com – Nick Shook
3. Chicago Bears (6) Those who were familiar with Jeffery Simmons’ game knew he’d make an immediate difference for a Chicago front that needed an elite disruptor. The rest of the football world quickly learned about him in Monday night’s 34-17 road win over the defending champion Seahawks. Simmons elevated the Bears’ front by multiple levels, pressuring Sam Darnold and eventually attracting double teams that freed Montez Sweat for more one-on-one rushes in what doubled as a preview of the conundrum every team will have to navigate going forward. Chicago isn’t just an offensive machine anymore; this is a team with a defense that just might be able to complement Caleb Williams and Co.
CBS Sports – Pete Prisco
4. Chicago Bears (8) They went into Seattle and beat up the Seahawks. The Jeffrey Simmons trade paid off right away with a dominant first game.
USAToday – Nate Davis
2. Chicago Bears (2): QB Caleb Williams and newly acquired DT Jeffery Simmons certainly sowed fresh hope in front of a national audience on Monday night that Chicago might get its first NFL title in four decades after Da new-look Bears knocked off the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks. In Seattle. In prime time. Quite a statement win.
ESPN NFL Nation – Courtney Cronin
Week 8 result: Beat the Seahawks 34-17
Week 8 ranking: 7Best in-season trade acquisition ever: DE Montez Sweat in 2023
Three seasons before the Bears sent three draft picks, including two first-rounders, to Tennessee to acquire All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, GM Ryan Poles got aggressive in 2023 to land Sweat. Chicago sent a 2024 second-rounder to Washington in exchange for Sweat, who led both the Commanders (6.5) and Bears (6.0) in sacks in 2023, making him the first player in NFL history to lead two different teams in sacks in the same season. Sweat recorded his first double-digit-sack season and reached similar production in 2025, when he led Chicago with 10 sacks. Coach Ben Johnson called that season the best of Sweat’s career. — Courtney Cronin
Pro Football Talk – Mike Florio
Bears (No. 8; 6-2): The Bears are NOT who we thought they were — they’re serious contenders to win the whole thing.
What do you think of this week’s rankings? Let us know in the comments.
