The Chicago Bears are coming off a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, which was boosted by the returns of quarterback Caleb Williams and cornerback Kyler Gordon.
In our Week 7 power rankings, the Bears landed at No. 6. Their NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings, were on a bye, but they remain ahead because they are 5-0 with a win over Chicago. The Green Bay Packers climbed again, but not ahead of the Bears. Green Bay beat Chicago badly in Week 5, but it was without Williams, who clearly makes a huge difference.
Ahead of the Bears' big Thursday night showdown against the New England Patriots, here's a look at where Chicago lands among various power rankings.
USA Today
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Current Ranking: 4
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Author: Nate Davis
Author’s Take: "They looked awfully good after getting a key guy back … and we're referring to DB Kyler Gordon, who had three sacks − again, he's a DB − and two forced fumbles in his 2026 debut on Sunday, all in 17 snaps. He's the first player at his position to have such a game in 26 years."
Our Take: This is a big jump for the Bears after winning in Week 6. To be honest, it makes sense, as this is what they are capable of looking like when everything is going well for them. Caleb Williams' return is going to be the topic of most of these, but Nate Davis accurately highlighted the importance of Kyler Gordon's return.
The Athletic
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Current Ranking: 8
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Author: Josh Kendall, Chad Graff
Author’s Take: "No team has had a more frustrating group of pass catchers for fantasy managers than the Bears. There was preseason optimism about tight end Colston Loveland and wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, but none ranks higher at the moment than Burden, who is 77th in fantasy points per game (12.2). The good news is Caleb Williams is back, and Burden had eight catches for 95 yards on Sunday."
Our Take: The Athletic's theme was "Fantasy Focus." Although the Bears have an elite offense, they don't have one pass catcher that sticks out as a top fantasy option. They named Luther Burden, but fantasy owners are still waiting for one or two Bears to explode beyond being better than 77th overall. With Caleb Williams back under center, things could be looking up.
ESPN
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Current Ranking: 9
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
Author: Courtney Cronin
Author’s Take: "Quarterback Caleb Williams being back under center alleviates a lot of the issues the Bears struggled with in his absence, such as red zone execution, third-down efficiency, and their downfield passing attack. One area that can stand to be cleaned up more is offensive penalties, which accounted for seven of the Bears' infractions Sunday. Those offensive penalties helped generate Chicago's most penalty yardage in a game since 2016 (133). The Bears are tied for the third-most offensive holding penalties (10). That's an area they'll want to fix so it doesn't derail drives."
Our Take: ESPN's theme is "biggest issue on offense." Courtney Cronin identified that although the Bears have a great offense, they do have one glaring problem, and that is penalties. They are not disciplined enough, and that could cost them once the playoffs roll around. They must get this issue cleaned up, which is on Ben Johnson.
NFL.com
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Current Ranking: 11
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
Author: Nick Shook
Author’s Take: "Caleb Williams was stellar in his return to the offense, opening up everything that was trapped behind padlocks in Green Bay. With the Iceman at the controls, everyone ate: Colston Loveland caught a touchdown pass, D’Andre Swift scored twice, Roschon Johnson bullied his way into the end zone, and the Bears could not be denied. That said, they need to clean up their penalties (12 for 133 yards on Sunday) and finish games more comfortably than they did in Atlanta."
Our Take: Another writer has taken note of the penalties that the Bears have taken. This keeps them from getting into NFL.com's top 10, which is fair. It won't be long, however, before they are back in.
NBC Sports (PFT)
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Current Ranking: 10
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
Author: Mike Florio
Author’s Take: "A franchise quarterback makes all the difference."
Our Take: Mike Florio doesn't give a whole lot with his power rankings, but his short little sentence this week speaks louder than most full paragraphs. The Bears looked like a considerably different team with Caleb Williams back from injury. Their top priority should always be keeping him happy and healthy.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears power rankings roundup: Where Chicago lands in Week 7
