If fans weren’t sure before, the 2026 offseason left no doubts. The Chicago Bears have become an offense-first organization. That is not something people have ever considered a possibility. Defensive has been the primary identity of this organization dating back to the days of George Halas himself. Probably not, since the 1940s, when the offense was considered the franchise’s primary identity, led by Sid Luckman and the iconic T-formation. After that, it was era after era of great defenses paired with rudimentary but physical offenses. Not anymore.
Since Ben Johnson arrived as head coach last season, the Bears have invested eleven draft picks (three in trades) on the offensive side of the ball. That includes a 1st round pick, three 2nd round picks, and two 3rd round picks. By contrast, the defense has only gotten seven total picks with one in the 1st, one in the 2nd, and none in the 3rd. There is no getting around reality. The Bears are becoming an offense-first organization, and it’s about time. While some may feel this departure is destined for failure, the numbers say otherwise.
The Chicago Bears haven’t been following the NFL trend.
Thanks to constant rule changes, the league has heavily favored strong offensive teams. Since 2000, teams with a top 10 offense but no top 10 defense have made the playoffs 74 times. On the other side, teams with a top 10 defense but no top 10 offense, otherwise known as the Bears Special, have made the playoffs 67 times. That gulf doesn’t sound overly significant. However, here is where it becomes stark. In the past 25 years, four of those teams with top 10 defenses won a Super Bowl. The top 10 offenses won 12. Triple the amount.
| Team Profile (Since 2000) | Playoff Appearances | Super Bowl Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 Offense / Outside Top 10 Defense | 74 | 12 |
| Top 10 Defense / Outside Top 10 Offense | 67 | 4 |
If you want a more direct comparison, we have that as well. If there is one organization you can call the direct opposite of the Bears historically, it is the Indianapolis Colts. In the Super Bowl era, the Bears have had 21 defenses ranked in the top 10 and only eight offenses. The Colts had only nine top 10 defenses, but 23 offenses. As of writing this, Indianapolis has made the playoffs 24 times compared to Chicago’s 18. They have two Super Bowl titles to the Bears’ one.
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| Category | Chicago Bears 🐻 | Indianapolis Colts 🐴 |
|---|---|---|
| Top-10 Scoring Defenses | 21 | 9 |
| Top-10 Scoring Offenses | 8 | 23 |
| Playoff Appearances | 18 | 24 |
It all goes back to bites the apple.
Great offense alone doesn’t guarantee championships. You need both sides of the ball to be good for the best possible chance to win a Super Bowl. Of the 58 champions so far, 30 have fielded top-10 offenses and defenses. The issue is that getting a team to that point is difficult and can take time. Until then, the goal must be to maximize your opportunities by getting to the playoffs as often as possible. Based on the data collected above, the odds are far better of doing that with a top offense than a top defense.
Johnson has been living proof of that. In his four years as a play caller since 2022, he has reached the playoffs every season. Three of those four years did not involve a top 10 defense. Four bites at the apple. Care to recall how many years it took the Chicago Bears to get four bites before Johnson arrived? That was 14 years, from 2006 to 2020. The Bears had a top-10 offense three times during that span, and they were involved in two of those playoff runs. Are you starting to see the point?
Prioritizing offense doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl, but it certainly nudges you in the right direction.
