Ask this question in any of the last 6+ years, and you would get something to the tune of:
“A successful Bears season looks like QB development, improvement by (rattles off a handful of key players) and threaten for a playoff spot”
But 2025 changed that. The Bears won their division, won a playoff game, and unearthed a QB+Coach combo that we have been clamoring for for years.
So with the 2026 season a week away, expectations have changed. We can no longer just ask for development and to threaten for a playoff
spot.
What defines a successful 2026 Bears campaign?
I won’t be satisfied unless they make the NFC Championship Game. They need to make real progress in the playoffs after last season.
This is no easy task, though. Every team in the league is looking to take the “next step”, and unfortunately there aren’t enough spots in the dance to accommodate them all.
In fact, the Bears haven’t made consecutive playoff appearances since the 2005 and 2006 seasons, where they showed true incremental progress in improving on a Divisional Round appearance to a Super Bowl appearance. Before that, the Bears haven’t shown sustained playoff success since the stretch of 1984 to 1991, where they made the playoffs in 7 of 8 seasons, winning a Super Bowl and making the Conference Championship in two other seasons.
So linear improvement is not guaranteed.
Beyond a NFCCG appearance, I think a few other things would help me define this as a successful season.
- Caleb Williams cements himself as an elite QB by introducing consistency to his moments of genius.
- Ben Johnson proves he is one of the few HCs that can churn out perennial winning football teams.
- The Bears pass-catchers all take steps forward, with one of Odunze/Burden/Loveland emerging as a top-tier player at their position.
- One young defensive player catapults themself into a “feature role”. This could be Jordan van den Berg, Austin Booker, Dillon Thieneman, or a number of other guys.
- Dennis Allen shows he is the right complement to Ben Johnson by developing and scheming the talent into more consistent performances.
It’s unlikely that all of the above hit, but I also don’t think it is far-fetched to think that they can. Bears fans this offseason have been excited, but as we approach the season and some realities creep in (injuries, trades, etc) you can feel expectations tempering. Part of this is the conditioning we have gone through as Bears fans — to never expect too much of our team.
But I think it’s time to change that narrative. Expect a lot out of this group. This team is different.
