The Chicago Bears are sitting at 7-2 at the bye week, where they've won four straight games and sit in first place in the NFC North.
It's been an impressive start to the season for the Bears, who have lost just two games despite being without starting quarterback Caleb Williams for three games. Chicago also just played three consecutive prime-time games, going 4-0 in prime time in the first nine weeks of the season. The Bears' only losses have come to division rivals (Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers) in what's been an historically great start for the NFC North.
There's still a long way to go during the remainder of the 2026 season (eight games to be exact). But the bye week presents an opportunity to examine the standout players through the first
nine games. With that in mind, here's a look at our bye week superlatives for the Bears:
Offensive MVP: QB Caleb Williams
Outside of the aberration that was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, Caleb Williams has been on an MVP track in his second season with Ben Johnson. Williams has completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 1,546 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions (four of those coming against the Bucs). Williams has led the Bears to a 5-1 record when starting (and he hasn't lost a game that he played from start to finish). When Williams was sidelined for three games with a hamstring injury, the world saw just how valuable he is to this offense and how he makes them a Super Bowl contender.
Honorable Mention: RB D'Andre Swift
Defensive MVP: DT Jeffery Simmons
Sure, he's only been on the team for two games, but there's no denying that Jeffery Simmons has already made himself invaluable to this defense. The Bears made a blockbuster trade for Simmons, sending two first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans, and it now feels like an underpay. In two games with Chicago, Simmons has totaled 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss, two sacks, two QB hits and two pass breakups. But it's also his mere presence -- which has demanded double teams -- that's also opened the door for his teammates, including Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, to feast.
Honorable Mention: LB Devin Bush
Breakout player: WR Luther Burden III
Luther Burden flashed his potential in his rookie season, and he's been the team's breakout star through the first half of the 2026 season. Burden has established himself as Chicago's No. 1 wideout, and he leads the team in receptions (49), receiving yards (644) and receiving touchdowns (4), and he's on pace to finish with 1,200 receiving yards. In just nine games, Burden is just eight yards shy of his total receiving yards from last season (652). Burden has become one of the NFL's best YAC receivers, totaling 353 yards after the catch (2nd) and is first among receivers in missed tackles forced. He also has 14 catches of 20-plus yards (4th).
Honorable Mention: DE Austin Booker
Most disappointing player: CB Jaylon Johnson
The Bears secondary has been a point of contention this season, but Jaylon Johnson has easily been the most disappointing in the first half of the season. After dealing with groin injuries that forced him to miss half of last season, there were high hopes for Johnson returning fully healthy for 2026. Unfortunately, he's had the worst half-season of his career, and it's clear he still isn't 100%. Even rookie Malik Muhammad acknowledged that Johnson (who also admitted himself) needs to play better. For what it's worth, Johnson has been much better in the last two games than the first seven (including his pick-six vs. the Bucs), and the hope is that's the start of a rebound campaign down the stretch for the former All Pro.
Honorable Mention: C Garrett Bradbury
Most improved: DE Austin Booker
Austin Booker is emerging as a young playmaker for the Bears defense in Year 3, where he's taken a massive step in his development along a defensive line featuring some big names. In nine games, Booker has totaled 27 tackles, including six tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, eight QB hits, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. Before the arrival of Jeffery Simmons, who just joined the team a few weeks ago, Booker had been the team's leading sack getter. He's also a top-five run stuffer (11.4%), per FTN Fantasy. Booker has been one of the beneficiaries of the Simmons trade, and with already a career-high in sacks, the best in yet to come for the former fifth round pick.
Honorable Mention: DE Dayo Odeyingbo
Rookie of the Year: S Dillon Thieneman
Honestly, this could go to either Dillon Thieneman or Malik Muhammad, who have both been among the best defensive backs for Chicago this season. But Thieneman gets a slight edge having played in every game this season and how he leads the team in tackles through nine weeks. In nine games, Thieneman had totaled 57 tackles, including two tackles for loss, one interception, five pass breakups, 1.5 sacks and three QB hits. Thieneman had a flawless first month for the Bears before being brought back down to Earth, but he's been a core contributor of the secondary, and that's without Coby Bryant in the lineup.
Honorable Mention: CB Malik Muhammad
Comeback Player: CB Kyler Gordon
It's crazy to think how far we've come with Kyler Gordon this season. After missing the entire summer and the first five games of the season, Gordon has returned with a vengeance and has reminded everyone why the Bears defense is better with him on the field. In his game back in action, Gordon had three sacks and two forced fumbles in just 17 snaps against the Atlanta Falcons, and Dennis Allen has continued to use him as a blitzer to keep offenses on their toes. In four games, Gordon has totaled 13 tackles, including five tackles for loss, four sacks, four QB hits, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the season, Chicago's defense will be in great hands.
Honorable Mention: LB T.J. Edwards
Best Free Agent Signing: LB Devin Bush
Devin Bush has been one of the most underrated defensive players for the Bears this season, and he's turning out to be the best free-agent signing by Ryan Poles this past offseason. In nine games, Bush has totaled 53 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, two sacks, three QB hits, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries while bringing stability to the linebacker position. Bush's speed has proven to be key for this defense this season, and he's gotten even better since the addition of Jeffery Simmons. Bush had his best game of the season against the Buccaneers, where he was flying all around the field and was one of the biggest reasons for Chicago's prime-time win.
Honorable Mention: DB Cam Lewis
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears midseason awards: MVPs, breakout, comeback, most disappointing
