Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears

I think everybody understood that it was the last season of the show. If it isn't, then I've completely blown it.

Nahshon Wright had one of the most charmed seasons I've ever witnessed from a Bears player. After beginning the summer buried on the training camp depth chart, Wright climbed the ladder to make it into the starting lineup when Week 1 kicked off. Injuries to players such as Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, and the absence of rookie Zah Frazier cleared the way for Wright to get an opportunity to shine.

Kevin Byard, I was told by somebody who would know, that he is 70-30 that he is going to get a Bear. They're working on it, they're trying to get a deal done that's fair for both sides. ... And then you're going to have to pair him, probably with a young safety, unless there is a veteran out there.

Caleb Williams took off and established himself not only as the Bears' franchise quarterback but also as one of the game's most clutch performers. As for the team, they won 11 regular-season games, captured the NFC North for the first time since 2018, beat the Packers twice, won a playoff game, and were one miscommunication against the Rams away from an NFC Championship bid.

Gardner-Johnson played in 10 games (made seven starts) with the Bears. He finished the year with two interceptions, three sacks, four passes defended, 51 total tackles (35 solo), five tackles-for-loss, and five quarterback hits. It felt like he was stuffing the stat sheet every week.

The Bears and the Packers, they should not like each other. I think it's as simple as that. I think that's going to make this rivalry, this game, something that people are going to watch going forward.

When injuries sidelined fellow cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, the Bears needed Stevenson to stabilize one side of the secondary. Instead, Stevenson delivered mixed results. There were moments when the 25-year-old cornerback flashed. Strong outings against the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders early in the season showed the physical press corner that Chicago's front office envisioned when they used a second-round pick (56th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft on the University of Miami product.

It's a shame to get rid of a player who grew up near the Windy City, but it's pretty clear that Amegadjie isn't in the Bears' plans going forward. The 2024 third-round pick likely would have been cut in last season's training camp if not for his Day 2 draft upside. His struggles blocking in space led the Bears to start working him at guard instead of tackle.

Yes, the state of Indiana and the Bears have made progress on a potential new home for the team in Hammond. That is undeniable. However, it is far from the done deal some people made it out to be because they didn't read or comprehend (possibly both) the statement that was put out by the team. The team fell well short offering up a firm committment.

Kyler Gordon's 2025 season never really got off the ground. Injuries limited him to just five appearances between the regular season and playoffs. It was a frustrating development for a player expected to anchor the secondary, especially with his three-year, $40 million extension set to kick in beginning in 2026. Kyler Gordon's 2025 Snapshot Instead of building on his trajectory, Gordon spent most of the year rehabbing, leaving questions about durability hanging over what was supposed to be a stabilizing season.

It didn't take too long for the Chicago Bears to name Ian Cunningham's replacement. Jeff King is the Bears' new assistant general manager. King takes the place of Cunningham, who left for the Atlanta Falcons general GM gig in late January. Elevating King into a new role as the right-hand man for GM Ryan Poles provides some stability and continuity at the top of the front office.

The Chicago Bears are raising season-ticket prices by an average of 13.5 percent. Patrick Finley (Sun-Times) and Sean Hammond (Tribune) dissect the news, which came after Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren sent a letter to season-ticket holders on Tuesday. This isn't the first uptick we've seen in terms of an increase in the average for season-ticket holders. The 2025 average increase came in at 10 percent, while the 2024 average increase was 8 percent.

The NFL won't officially announce compensatory draft picks until later, but the league is making it clear that the Chicago Bears will not be getting one despite losing former assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to the Atlanta Falcons, who hired him as their general manager in late January. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio shared what he heard directly from the league when asked about the situation.

After missing rookie minicamp, OTAs, and the early portion of training camp with a hamstring injury, Burden entered the season playing catch-up. Rather than rushing the process, he focused on building trust with offensive play-caller Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El. That patience paid off. As the season progressed, Burden transitioned from a rotational weapon into a reliable weekly target, no longer resembling a first-year player by the stretch run.

Keenan Allen's time with the Chicago Bears was short-lived, but memorable. Allen caught 70 passes for 744 yards in 15 games with Chicago in 2024. He caught seven touchdowns and threw the most random interception you'll ever see. But more than that, he provided a security blanket for Caleb Williams as a rookie quarterback and leadership for a team that needed it in the worst way.

A knee injury sidelined Booker for the first eight weeks of the season, but he made his presence known quickly, recording a sack and forced fumble in his season debut against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. Booker was held out of the sack column on the stat sheet in his next five games, but finished the season strong. Headlined by a two-sack performance against the Cleveland Browns in December, Booker finished the season on a high note with a stellar five-game run.

Just as Ben Johnson was definitely deserving of more than one vote for the NFL's Coach of the Year award. But that is a different discussion for another post. However, with that being said, the one no-doubt, slam-dunk award that was handed out at Thursday's NFL Honors ceremony was the league's Moment of the Year - which of course belonged to Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver DJ Moore.

In addition to his ball-hawking skills, Kevin Byard III provided the Chicago Bears with invaluable leadership, often placing him at the center of pre-game huddles as the team rattled off 11 wins en route to an NFC North title and a playoff victory against the Green Bay Packers. The veteran safety is on an expiring contract. So if 2025 was Byard's final season in Chicago, he'll be missed by Bears fans.