The Chicago Bears have reached the midway point of the 2026 season, where they're sitting at 7-2 and in first place in the NFC North. But there's still a tough stretch ahead of them.
In Ben Johnson's second season as head coach, the Bears have positioned themselves as contenders in the NFC once again, but they're more complete than ever. Quarterback Caleb Williams has been playing better than ever (minus an uncharacteristic performance in Week 9) and has the offense rolling as one of the NFL's best. Meanwhile, the addition of All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has jumpstarted the defense in just two games.
With the Bears in the middle of their bye week, here are the biggest concerns that will be focal points for the duration of the 2026
season:
Penalties
Once again, the Bears have been marred by self-inflicted mistakes in the form of penalties, which have been costly at times despite their 7-2 record. Chicago has been kicking themselves with penalties even dating back to Week 1's massive 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. But the Bears have had six games where they've committed eight or more penalties, including 12 against the Panthers (Week 1) and Atlanta Falcons (Week 6) and 10 against the Seattle Seahawks (Week 8). Some of those penalties have been egregious ones occurring after the play, like Zavion Thomas' most recent one against the Buccaneers that changed the game. Chicago needs to be more disciplined heading into this final stretch. While it's easy to look past the penalties because the Bears are winning, at some point those are going to catch up to you and be the reason why you lose, especially with this gauntlet in the second half of the season.
Run game
Much like last year, the Bears face questions about their struggling run game at the bye week. But last season that moment of truth came after the first month of the season, igniting what would be a top-three run game for the duration. While Chicago had the best run game in the NFL through the first seven weeks of the season, things have significantly dropped off since Kyle Monangai's injury, which has forced him to miss the last five games. In Weeks 1-4, the Bears averaged 196 rushing yards per game eclipsing 230 yards twice and hitting 120+ in each game with D'Andre Swift and Monangai. In Weeks 5-8, Chicago averaged just 105 yards per game, falling short of 100 yards in two games before bouncing back with 116 and 126 yards in their last two games, with Swift and Roschon Johnson. The good news is it appears that Monangai is set to return for Week 11 against the Saints, and Johnson knows how that could be a lightning rod for this run game.
Pass defense
If there's one glaring weakness of the defense, it's the secondary, which has been marred by injuries and some struggling veteran play. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love displayed as much with his shredding of the Bears secondary in Week 5 to the tune of 367 passing yards, two touchdowns -- both 40-plus passing scores -- and six plays of 30-plus yards. The fact that Chicago's best cover cornerback has been rookie Malik Muhammad says it all. While Jaylon Johnson had a pick-six against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which was a key game-defining moment, it doesn't take away from the fact that he's been a liability in coverage this season. The same with cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who's in a contract year. Looking ahead, the Bears are going to face some explosive offenses, including in their own division, and they need to tighten up in the back end. The addition of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons can certainly help with that.
Division play
Yes, the Bears are sitting in first place in an NFC North that's historically the best division through the first nine weeks. And, once again, they're doing it despite struggles playing their division foes. While Chicago has only played two division contests through the first half of the season, they've lost both of those (vs. Minnesota Vikings, at Green Bay Packers). Things aren't going to get any easier as they have four remaining division games in the final 10 games, including a Thanksgiving game at the Detroit Lions and hosting the Packers on Christmas Day. The Bears need to find a way to go at least .500 in their four remaining division games, and that regular-season finale at the Vikings could have some serious playoff implications.
Injuries
The Bears have been battling injuries since before the start of the regular season, and it's been an issue through the first half of the 2026 season. Running back Kyle Monangai has missed the last five games due to a lingering turf toe injury, and the run game has suffered. Most recently, wide receiver Luther Burden III suffered a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Buccaneers. Chicago was without quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring), cornerback Kyler Gordon (calf) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) for stretches, but both have returned healthier and better than ever. Even running back D'Andre Swift, who has not missed a game, appears banged up, and carrying the workload on the ground hasn't helped matters. Luckily, the bye week appears to have come at the best time, allowing guys like Monangai and Burden time to rest up and return for Week 11.
Remaining strength of schedule
The Bears had some tough battles in the first half of the season, but the toughest is yet to come in this final stretch of 10 games. Chicago has the most-difficult remaining strength of schedule (.631), where the easiest teams they'll face are the Saints (Week 11) and Miami Dolphins (Week 14). The Bears will battle a couple of AFC powerhouses in the Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 13) and Buffalo Bills (Week 15) and they also have four remaining NFC North contests against the Lions (Weeks 12, 17), Packers (Week 16) and Vikings (Week 18). It's a gauntlet for a Chicago squad that currently sits atop the NFC North and holds the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Examining the Bears' biggest concerns at the midway point of 2026
