The Chicago Bears are sitting in a good position at the midway point of the 2026 season. Now, they are at their bye week, with a chance to rest and recoup ahead of the second half of the campaign.
The Bears are 7-2, but they are nowhere near safe because of the NFC North. They have to keep winning if they want to control their own destiny in the final weeks of the season, but there is no denying that they have had a tremendous start.
There have been bumps and bruises along the way for the Bears. Caleb Williams missed some time, but both Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent won a game while he was out. Other injuries have occurred, but the next man has mostly always stepped up. There have been one-off poor performances at times too, but they don't always lose
in those situations, and things usually get corrected quickly.
The whole team deserves credit for being 7-2 after nine weeks. Right now, they have the look of a Super Bowl-caliber team. Before they return to action against the New Orleans Saints in Week 11, here are our midseason grades for each unit.
Offense: A
The Bears offense has been nothing short of spectacular. It left a sour taste in the mouth against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that also came after a bad penalty took away some serious momentum in the first quarter after going up 14-0 with ease. Caleb Williams, even with his time missed, is an MVP-caliber quarterback. He won't win it because of the time away impacting his cumulative stats and his one rough game against the Bucs, but he is that sensational. He has learned how to use the running game to his advantage, all of the running backs have warmed up to the task when they are healthy, and he spreads the ball around to his plethora of weapons.
Every unit of the team is good, but the offense leads the pack for the first time in franchise history. They want to be great; they're very creative, and you never fear that they won't score enough points to win. The A grade could become an A+ by the end of the season if they continue to build on what they've already accomplished.
Defense: A-
Early in the season, some might have thought that the Bears defense was no good. They had what was seen as a pretty good defensive backfield, but the lack of pass rush, the potential for regression in the turnover margin, and no one superstar at any position made folks think the unit would hold the team back. There were some bumpy moments earlier in the season, but they overcame them. Then, it was assumed that they would regress to the mean after they started to play really well. Then, they traded for Jeffery Simmons, and that changed everything.
With the addition of Simmons, who has now played two strong games for the Bears, they have a legitimate game-breaker in the interior of their defensive line. He has helped make everyone else on the defensive line better, including Montez Sweat, who served a two-game substance suspension right before the Bears acquired Simmons. Now, injuries and lackluster play by some have caused the backfield to be a massive disappointment. Dillon Thieneman has been sensational as a rookie, but there have been concerns at cornerback with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson that make it a position of concern going forward.
Special Teams: A-
We say it during our grading period for each week: All special teams have to do in order to earn a good grade is not to lose the game for the team. Well, the Bears have gotten more than that from their units. They have nice field position on offense more than not thanks to kick/punt returning, Cairo Santos has been excellent at hitting the field goals and extra points that the team asks him to make, and Tory Taylor seems to have found his true punting boot. In any given week, the Bears can get a game-changing play from these units that either set them up close or straight up score them points.
Coaching: A
When the Bears hired Ben Johnson and paid him all of that money, there was no denying that he would turn this franchise around. Coming over as the offensive genius behind the success of the Detroit Lions, Johnson's tactics, scheming, and leadership have turned this into a winning program. Not only is he good, but his staff has been excellent. He calls the plays and leads the way on offense with Press Taylor as his right-hand man.
Meanwhile, Dennis Allen has managed to do impressive things amid injuries and with a no-name defense before the arrival of Jeffery Simmons and Richard Hightower remains solid leading special teams. All of them have done really well en route to a 7-2 record, and should be very proud of their units. The Bears have a tactical advantage in almost every game they play, which is a major key to winning a Super Bowl. If this type of coaching continues, the Bears will stay on their Super Bowl path.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grading the Chicago Bears at the midway point of 2026 season
