# Chicago Bears NFL team. Team code: **CHI**. ## Quick Facts - **Team code:** CHI - **Head coach:** Ben Johnson (Ben Johnson — Chicago Bears Head Coach) - **Offensive coordinator:** * (Press Taylor) - **Defensive coordinator:** * (Dennis Allen) - **Coaching tree:** see Coaching Trees ## Fantasy Footprint Ben Johnson's offense has produced top-10 efficiency in year one with the Bears despite the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL. The scheme differs materially from his prior Detroit work with Jared Goff—the running game remains elite, but play-calling is tailored to Caleb Williams' mobility and decision-making rather than a pocket-passer approach. Year two refinement should improve consistency across all offensive skill positions (per What offensive changes can we expect from the Chicago Bears in 2026?). ## 2026 Outlook Historical precedent suggests year-two regression following the Bears' 11-win jump in 2025. Since 2015, only one of seven teams making an 11+-win improvement (2017 Los Angeles Rams) improved again the next year. The Bears defied odds with a divisional win and playoff appearance in 2025, but replicating success will be difficult. USA Today projects a 10-7 record in 2026 navigating the NFL's sixth-hardest schedule, with first-place matchups featuring road games to Buffalo, Seattle, and all NFC North opponents. Toughest stretch: Week 15 at Buffalo in December. Most manageable: December road trip to Miami against one of the NFL's weakest rosters. Week 12 Thanksgiving at Detroit figures to be the unofficial start to the stretch run, with both teams expected to compete for the NFC North title (per The Bears 2026 schedule is here. Way-too-early record prediction, picks). Ben Johnson will continue as de facto play-caller in 2026, with Press Taylor promoted from passing-game coordinator to offensive coordinator. Taylor brings 13 years of league experience and organizational strengths but won't handle play-calling, positioning him to facilitate Johnson's message and keep the offense aligned. This arrangement avoids Taylor's Jacksonville shortcoming (play-calling) while leveraging his film library and coaching infrastructure (per The Bears 2026 schedule is here. Way-too-early record prediction, picks). Defensive improvements and offensive-line upgrades can help the team buck historical regression trends, but fantasy managers should temper expectations for consistent offensive explosion (per Bad omen for Chicago Bears in 2026 emerges). The NFC North division race will be highly competitive in 2026, with Green Bay (9-7-1), Minnesota (9-8), and Detroit (9-8) all expected to improve. The Bears' success hinges on Caleb Williams' continued development and Ben Johnson's ability to maximize a receiving corps that lost DJ Moore to a trade but retains Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Cole Kmet, and rookie Coleston Loveland (per Chicago Bears 2026 Training Camp Preview: It's All About Caleb Williams). **Organizational context:** The Bears formally advanced relocation to Hammond, Indiana on June 5, 2026, ending 100+ years in Illinois and decades of stadium negotiations. The team maintains the "Chicago Bears" name despite the move, confirmed by Indiana Governor Mike Braun who stated it would be "obtuse" to change the historic franchise name. While off-field relocation logistics could create distraction, the Bears' on-field 2026 outlook remains focused on Caleb Williams' development and NFC North competition (per Chicago Bears moving to Hammond, Indiana stadium and Bears move to Hammond Indiana name change). **Super Bowl contention ranking (June 14):** Chicago is ranked 3rd among NFL teams most likely to end their 41-year Super Bowl drought in 2026. The team is coming off a surprisingly successful 2025 season that included the franchise's first playoff win since 2010. The Bears didn't make many splashy offseason moves but revamped their secondary with additions of veterans Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis and rookies Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad. The two main questions are whether Caleb Williams can take the next step following his impressive 2025 season and whether the Bears can emerge from the NFL's most competitive division relatively unscathed (per After Knicks' long-awaited title, ranking NFL teams most likely to end their Super Bowl droughts in 2026) **Defense ranked last in NFC North (June 22):** Chicago's defense is "unquestionably the worst group of the bunch" defensively in the NFC North. Former second-round pick Gervon Dexter Sr. is entering a contract year but has yet to show consistency despite flashes. Grady Jarrett gamble did not pan out, and improvement appears unlikely given his age. The defensive line will rely on career backups like Neville Gallimore, with internal optimism for sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg as more of a developmental player. Defensive end remains untouched despite attention to other areas, counting on Montez Sweat and Austin Booker to produce starting-level pass rush with minimal upside. New safety signings (Coby Bryant, Dillon Thieneman in first round) represent a vision, but until Thieneman proves worthy of his draft position, the Bears' defense lacks proven star power. (per 2026 NFC North Position Group Rankings: Defense). **Edge rusher trade interest (June 19):** GM Ryan Poles showed interest in edge rusher Maxx Crosby before his failed trade to Baltimore in February. Analysts predict the Bears could pursue Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat at the trade deadline to pair with Montez Sweat, creating a "Sweat-Sweat" edge duo. Such an acquisition would significantly boost the Bears' pass rush opposite Montez Sweat, addressing their most glaring defensive need (per Bears Trade Prediction Sees Chicago Right Biggest Wrong of 2026 Offseason). **Secondary bounce-back potential (July 7):** CB Jaylon Johnson returns to full health after a groin injury derailed his 2025 season. The two-time Pro Bowler missed most of training camp and the first half of the regular season before returning Week 13, but played at reduced effectiveness. With a full offseason to recover, Johnson is a legitimate lockdown corner who earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023—he's young enough (27) to reclaim that form, which would meaningfully upgrade the Bears' secondary (per How Injuries Made Bears' Jaylon Johnson One of NFL's Most Underrated Cornerbacks). **QB validation heading into camp:** ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled league insiders and identified Caleb Williams as a Top 10 QB and "one of the very best closers in the NFL" heading into 2026. Fowler compared Williams' ceiling to Patrick Mahomes—noting his ability to create off-schedule and make elite plays despite occasional erratic moments. This external validation from league-wide sources validates the Bears organization's optimism around Williams' development and suggests the entire offensive approach remains sound (per Caleb Williams is 'one of the very best closers in the NFL'). USA Today ranked the Bears #5 for 2026 entertainment value, highlighting the combination of Ben Johnson's play-calling and Caleb Williams' ability to execute high-variance plays. The article notes that while some regression is expected after their 2025 comeback season, the Bears should remain must-watch with the right offensive circumstances (per Ranking all 32 NFL teams from most to least entertaining). **July 8 update — Offensive infrastructure rank:** CBS Sports ranked the Bears 2nd among all 32 NFL teams in offensive infrastructure (score: 4.45), placing them in Tier 1 ("Best Ecosystems") alongside Los Angeles. The rankings excluded the QB and measured play-calling (Ben Johnson and Sean McVay identified as "two of the very small handful of best offensive minds in the league"), offensive line (above-average to good), pass catchers (great depth across the roster), and running backs (solid). Chicago's pass-catching group benefits from depth rather than star power, positioning the Bears to maximize Caleb Williams' on-field execution despite losing DJ Moore to trade (per 2026 NFL offensive infrastructure rankings: Which teams have best set up their quarterback for success?). **July 11 power rankings warning:** Gary Davenport's Bleacher Report ranking placed the Bears at #10 despite their 11-6 record, citing concerns about roster improvement and heavy reliance on young player development. The analysis warns that Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland—while highly regarded—"still have to cement themselves as top-flight players," and that younger receivers like Luther Burden need marked improvement. The Bears face regression risk if young offensive pieces don't take expected steps forward and the defense can't address its pass-rush deficiency (Booker, Odeyingbo, Turner all question marks). (per Bears' Spot in NFL Power Rankings Denotes Major Concern with Chicago's Roster) ## Players (Fantasy-Relevant) - **QB:** Caleb Williams (PPR #76) - **RB:** D'Andre Swift (PPR #62), Kyle Monangai (PPR #94) - **WR:** Luther Burden III (PPR #39), Rome Odunze (PPR #60), Zavion Thomas (PPR #NR) - **TE:** Colston Loveland (PPR #37), Caleb Loveland (PPR #NR), Sam Roush (PPR #NR), Cole Kmet (PPR #NR) ## Coaches - Head coach: Ben Johnson (Ben Johnson — Chicago Bears Head Coach) - Offensive coordinator: * (Press Taylor) - Defensive coordinator: * (Dennis Allen) ## Recent News - 2026-07-10 — Latest injury update on Bears CB Jaylon Johnson ahead of training camp (Latest injury update on Bears CB Jaylon Johnson ahead of training camp) - 2026-07-11 — Terron Armstead Sends Message on Bears’ Darnell Wright Amid Recent News (Terron Armstead Sends Message on Bears’ Darnell Wright Amid Recent News) - 2026-06-23 — Bears tight end room named the best in the NFL (Bears tight end room named the best in the NFL) - 2026-06-22 — Bears built powerhouse position group right under NFL's nose (Bears built powerhouse position group right under NFL's nose) - 2026-07-11 — Bears' Spot in NFL Power Rankings Denotes Major Concern with Chicago's Roster (Bears' Spot in NFL Power Rankings Denotes Major Concern with Chicago's Roster) - 2026-07-07 — How Injuries Made Bears' Jaylon Johnson One of NFL's Most Underrated Cornerbacks (How Injuries Made Bears' Jaylon Johnson One of NFL's Most Underrated Cornerbacks) - 2026-06-19 — Colston Loveland to represent Bears at Tight End University (Colston Loveland to represent Bears at Tight End University) - 2026-06-25 — Bears TE Colston Loveland predicted to earn All-Pro honors in 2026 (Bears TE Colston Loveland predicted to earn All-Pro honors in 2026) - 2026-07-05 — Bears get important Ozzy Trapilo update before training camp, but Chicago needs to... (Bears get important Ozzy Trapilo update before training camp, but Chicago needs to...) - 2026-07-01 — Top Chicago Bears position battles to watch in 2026: No. 3 top wide receiver (Top Chicago Bears position battles to watch in 2026: No. 3 top wide receiver) ## Open Questions - Will Caleb Williams cross the 4,000-yard passing threshold in his second season under Ben Johnson's system? **Source:** NFC NORTH: Where all four teams stand heading into training camp **Status:** open **Last touched:** 2026-06-29 - Can Caleb Williams repeat his dominant 2025 season (3,942 yards, 27 TDs) and win MVP in 2026 with continued development under Ben Johnson? **Source:** 100 days to the 2026 NFL season: Predictions, injuries, more **Status:** open **Last touched:** 2026-06-16 - Will DJ Moore's trade to Buffalo significantly reduce target volume for Chicago Bears passing game in 2026 despite Caleb Williams' growth? **Source:** Bears 2026 schedule—way-too-early record prediction **Status:** open **Last touched:** 2026-06-11 - Will the Saints' improved run defense (Christen Miller, draft pick) actually hold the Bears' rushing attack in Week 11, or is it still a structural weakness? **Source:** Saints 2026 Schedule: Previewing Week 11 Road Game vs. Chicago Bears **Status:** open **Last touched:** 2026-05-30 - Can Colston Loveland avoid target competition and establish himself as the centerpiece of the Bears' passing game in Year 2, or will other receivers demand enough volume to cap his upside? **Source:** 12 High-Risk, High-Reward Players (2026 Fantasy Football) **Status:** open **Last touched:** 2026-06-07 --- Source: https://chatffb.com/teams/chicago-bears · ChatFFB — fantasy football answers updated from a live news wiki.