It’s been quite the few days for the Chicago Bears. After an all-time thriller on Saturday night resulted in an improbable victory over the rival Packers, Ben Johnson’s team benefitted from another bizarre
ending Sunday afternoon as the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to *narrowly* hold on for a victory over the Detroit Lions that clinched a Chicago playoff berth. Either one of these events alone would be enough to send the Bears fanbase into the holiday with joy in our hearts, but news from the NFL on Monday morning has given us even more to be excited about in the form of fan voting results for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games. Not only do QB Caleb Williams and FS Kevin Byard feature as the top vote-getters in the NFC (and top 5 overall along with the Chief’s Travis Kelce, Bills’ Josh Allen, and Patriots’ Drake Maye), but the Bears received more votes than any other team, with 12 total players leading the conference at their respective positions:
Offense
- Quarterback – Caleb Williams
- Running Back – D’Andre Swift
- Tackle – Darnell Wright
- Guard – Joe Thuney
- Center – Drew Dalman
Defense
- Inside Linebacker – Tremaine Edmunds
- Cornerback – Nahshon Wright
- Strong Safety – Jaquan Brisker
- Free Safety – Kevin Byard
Special Teams
- Punter – Tory Taylor
- Return Specialist – Devin Duvernay
- Special Teamer – Josh Blackwell
At first glance, these 12 players all seem to have at least a decent argument for Pro Bowl honors. The names that stand out to me as perhaps the least likely to make the cut are Tremaine Edmunds (only based on time missed due to recent IR stint, his play pre-injury was more than deserving), Jaquan Brisker, Tory Taylor, and Devin Duvernay. That said, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them make it as they’ve all also had their moments this season. A few notable names that didn’t make it to the top spot in the conference, but are worth mentioning ahead of the roster announcement would be:
- Running Back – Kyle Monangai
- Wide Receiver – Rome Odunze
- Wide Receiver – DJ Moore
- Tight End – Colston Loveland
- Guard – Jonah Jackson
- Defensive End – Montez Sweat
- Kicker – Cairo Santos
It’s not surprising to see these players beaten out by at least one other NFC player in the fan vote, with most behind either obvious star players at their position (Jaxon Smith-Njigba at WR, Brandon Aubrey at K, etc.) or even behind another deserving Bears player (Swift/Thuney). These players definitely have more of an uphill battle, but of these names, the ones that stand out to me as having the best shot of making the final roster cut would be Jonah Jackson, Cairo Santos, and maaaaaybe Montez Sweat. Unfortunately, I think the way the offense has spread the ball around (while still being a functional work-in-progress) will work against the skill players on this list. Still, you never know how everything will play out as the final rosters are determined based on a combination of the fan, coaches, and player vote.
Regardless of the ultimate results, this team has a lot to be proud of this season, both as a group and several individual efforts. It will be a nice change of pace to see some Bears recognized for their success, in all likelihood, when the final Pro Bowl Games rosters are announced on Tuesday, December 23rd at 9 a.m. CT.
Additional information regarding the fan voting results can be found here.
