The 2025 season was the type of storybook that most Chicago Bears fans had dreamed of over the last 15-plus years. Although it didn’t end in a Super Bowl parade, the strides made from an ineffective three-year tenure under former head coach Matt Eberflus to Year 1 of Ben Johnson were nothing short of impressive. Now comes the hard part: Sustained success.
Part of sustaining success is getting notable contributions from unlikely sources. Last year, the Bears had plenty of that. In fact, six of my 10
breakout candidates from last year did break out indeed. For as fun as last year was, the offseason and last year’s success will set a different stage for 2026. For starters, Chicago did not have nearly as many resources as fans have been accustomed to. That alone means fewer new names and high-profile additions that can help project the team’s floor. Secondly, whenever a club wins the division and a playoff game, its roles switch from hunter to hunted.
With the offseason no longer being the only time where the Bears “win”, the next step in their quest for a Super Bowl must come from within. Here are my 10 breakout candidates for the 2026 season.
This is Part 1: players 10-6. Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow!
10. iOL Luke Newman
A backup interior offensive lineman on this list, you might ask? Hear me out.
Yes, Newman is not projected to start this season, but the coaching staff continues to speak highly about him. On top of that, the Bears’ offensive line was remarkably healthy last season. As great as that was, counting on it for a second straight season would be wishful thinking. For reference, last year was the first time that Jonah Jackson started and finished every regular-season game in his career. The last time he got close was during his first two years in Detroit, when he started 16 games each season. While I’m not in the business of predicting injuries, between Jackson and Bradbury, the odds are higher than not that at least one of them will miss at least a game in 2026.
This leaves an opening for someone like Newman to step in and play well. In addition to injuries, the Bears must start to plan for the future, and the second-year offensive lineman appears to be part of that contingency plan. Look for the team to get him more involved this season, whether as an extra offensive lineman or in other creative ways. Both Thuney and Jackson have two years remaining on their existing deals, but as we learned this offseason, things change fast on the offensive line, and Chicago must be ready. For that, enter Newman.
9. DL Shemar Turner
Speaking of 2025 draft picks, Year 2 for players like Turner becomes critical to carving out a role moving forward. Many viewed Turner as an awkward scheme fit from the start, and despite the coaching staff starting him at defensive tackle, he was only seeing the field as an edge rusher before going down with a season-ending ACL tear midseason.
The former second-round pick came in with high expectations, but after a lackluster offseason that didn’t add to the defensive end room, his development has become even more important. On paper, this group is not great. Even though Johnson believes coaching was a bigger issue than talent last year, it’s worth wondering what their ceiling is. Turner is a violent player who has a hot motor that can overheat in critical situations. Removing the bonehead decisions is key, but finding a role that he can thrive in should be the short-term priority.
Turner’s spot on this list might be more wishcasting than projection, but finding value in him is key to the success of last year’s draft class, especially with fellow second-rounder Ozzie Trapilo expected to miss the bulk of 2026 while rehabbing a torn patellar tendon.
8. C Logan Jones
The center position is far from resolved heading into the season, but no matter who wins the job in camp, there’s always realistic room for an in-season shakeup. We saw a similar situation play out last year with left tackle. Despite Braxton Jones starting, both Theo Benedet and Trapilo saw time in the starting five.
If I were a betting man (and I’m not), I’d give the Week 1 edge to Bradbury. It’s clear that Johnson values veteran leadership in the position, and it would allow them to bring Jones along at their own pace. That said, there’s plenty of reason to believe that we’ll see Jones for a chunk of the upcoming season. After all, it’s hard to believe the team spent its lone second-round selection on a player who didn’t plan to start during the upcoming season.
In a class of older prospects, Jones stands as the oldest in the Bears’ class. Between his age and starting experience at Iowa (38 games in three seasons), there’s reason to believe that Jones is about as seasoned as a rookie could be coming into the NFL. That should allow him to hit the ground running earlier than most, which could help him win the job in camp. Even if he doesn’t start Week 1, it could mirror what we saw last year from left tackle. Either way, I expect Jones to see the field in 2026, and if he does, he should excel as a rookie.
7. RB Kyle Monangai
For all intents and purposes, Monangai was already a “breakout candidate” for this team in his rookie season. Despite his draft status as a seventh-round pick, the former Rutgers product carved out a role early and thrived. With D’Andre Swift heading into a contract year and Johnson going into his second year of calling plays with this offense, it’s fair to wonder if Monangai’s overall usage and the complexity of his role will grow.
Although I’m not sure Monangai has the requisite speed to become a full-time three-down back at the NFL level, he brings a well-rounded skill set to go with his physical play style. It appeared at times late in the year that he was bogging down a bit, but that’s not out of the ordinary for rookies who aren’t used to a 17-game season, plus an additional two playoff games. With a full NFL offseason under his belt, Monangai should be better equipped to handle the long slog that is the NFL season. Assuming he stays healthy and builds on last year, fans can expect a bigger role for the second-year runner as the team evaluates how to move forward at the position for 2027 and beyond.
6. CB Malik Muhammad
On paper, the talent is there at cornerback for the Bears’ defense to bounce back as a unit. The issue is more health-related than anything. Jaylon Johnson will need to prove that he’s not only healthy but also the same player he was before undergoing core muscle surgery. Nickel Kyler Gordon must prove that he can stay healthy for the bulk of the season, and former second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson is in a contract year and far from guaranteed a starting job.
Now that we’ve set the stage for the team’s current starters, it’s worth wondering where Muhammad fits into that mix. In the most likely scenario, Muhammad comes off the bench early in his rookie season and continues to push Stevenson for playing time. While that seems like the more plausible assumption, health will play a big role in how that plays out. Assuming the fourth-round rookie can stay healthy, he’ll have a chance to split time between boundary and the nickel. After all, they started him out at nickel during the rookie mini-camp.
Similar to Jones, Muhammad might not have a clear path to becoming a Day 1 starter. Still, between a lack of availability (Johnson and Gordon) and inconsistent production from Stevenson, Muhammad is the drafted rookie on this roster who stands to receive the most opportunities to carve out a role for himself as a starter in Year 1.
Part 2 drops tomorrow!
