The Chicago Bears are flying high after their victory on Monday Night Football over the Philadelphia Eagles, and now they have to maintain altitude with another aerial opponent that is coming into Soldier Field. The New York Jets are set to play their first game in Chicago since 2018 as the Bears look to start their first winning streak of the year.
In the final game of Week 3, the Bears (2-1) dismantled the Eagles 27-7 behind third-string quarterback Case Keenum. The Bears controlled the clock early on and kept the Eagles at bay before pulling away in the second half thanks to a mix of on-schedule plays on offense and a ferocious defense.
The Jets (1-2), meanwhile, got off to a strong start to the season but are coming off back-to-back losses
to NFC North franchises. Despite the losses, quarterback Geno Smith has been spectacular to begin the year, completing 75.5% of his passes with a 110 passer rating, and their defense has allowed just one offense to eclipse 200 total yards.
These aren't the Jets the NFL is used to seeing, but can the Bears still get past them on Sunday? It may come down to a few key players on both sidelines. Here are the Jets players we'll be keeping an eye on.
1. QB Geno Smith
For the third year in a row, the Bears will be facing Smith as a member of a different team. He narrowly defeated the Bears in 2024 with Seattle, threw three picks last year with the Raiders, and now faces them with the Jets. Smith has been excellent so far in Frank Reich's offense, throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions, though he's taken plenty of hits in recent weeks and been sacked nine times.
With starting running back Breece Hall out due to injury, Smith will need to carry the Jets if they're going to put up points. If the Bears can make the Jets one-dimensional like they did with the Eagles, they will be in a good position to lure Smith into making mistakes. The last time he played the Bears, Smith threw three interceptions while with the Raiders. Though Kevin Byard made two of those picks and is no longer on the Bears, Dennis Allen seems to know which buttons to push when facing Smith.
2. TE Kenyon Sadiq
It seems rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq has officially arrived following his breakout performance in Week 3. After having minimal production over the first two weeks, Sadiq exploded with seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. Sadiq's score was a thing of beauty as he made a full extension grab in the end zone while draped in coverage.
Sadiq, a first-round pick out of Penn State, is an undersized tight end at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds but has plenty of athleticism to make defenses pay. He was making plays all over the field against the Lions and could be a mismatch for the Bears' back seven. With Mason Taylor still out, Sadiq stands to see plenty of targets.
3. WR Garrett Wilson
The most dangerous weapon the Jets have is wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Coming off an injury-plagued season in 2025, Wilson is on track towards having a career year with Smith throwing him the ball. Through three games, the 2022 first-round pick has totaled 21 receptions for 243 yards and two scores. He's averaging 81 yards per game and nine yards a target, both easily career highs.
Wilson has a somewhat similar profile to Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, whom the Bears struggled to contain at times during Monday's win. Wilson is the leading Jets pass catcher by a mile and will undoubtedly be the focal point of the offense on Sunday. Bears cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Malik Muhammad, and Tyrique Stevenson will need to keep him contained.
4. OT Olu Fashanu
The Jets invested a ton of draft capital in their offensive line recent years. Three of their five starters are Day 1 or Day 2 draft picks over the last few years, including left tackle Olu Fashanu. The former Penn State standout had an excellent 2025 season but has not enjoyed the same success to start this season.
Through three games, Fashanu has allowed four sacks, 10 total pressures, and two penalties. Last year, he allowed six sacks all season. While three of those sacks came against the Lions specifically, it could be that Fashanu simply had a bad game. Or teams are keying in on his deficiencies, and he's becoming a liability on the left side of the line. With starting left guard Dylan Parham out, the Bears can do some damage with unique looks and packages.
5. DE David Bailey
On defense, the Jets have quietly put together one of the better units in the league through three weeks. They rank No. 13 in total EPA and bolstered their front four with a few draft picks, namely David Bailey. The No. 2 overall pick out of Texas Tech has put up some gaudy stats to start the season with two sacks and three tackles for loss, but he's often been a nonfactor while getting swallowed up by offensive tackles.
Bailey doesn't seem to know what he needs to do to win a rep. He looks stiff and uncertain when it comes to what moves to use. That bodes well for the Bears and specifically right tackle Darnell Wright. It will be interesting to see how Bailey tries to get around one of the best tackles in the league as he'll try to make an impact on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Jets players to watch vs. Bears
