These Chicago Bears Are Remarkably Similar To The 2006 Saints, Which Is Both Good And Bad

For some time, I’ve been wondering what team, if any, the 2025 Chicago Bears reminded me of. There were plenty of similarities with notable teams from the past. You had the 2017 Los Angeles Rams when a hotshot young offensive coach (Sean McVay) immediately turned a dismal team around to make the playoffs. You could even go all the way back to 1975 when Ted Marchibroda helped spark a turnaround with the Baltimore Colts by rescuing talented quarterback Bert Jones.

However, when looking at this Bears team in its entirety, there is one example that lines up remarkably well. That is the 2006 New Orleans Saints. We all know the story. A young hotshot coach, Sean Payton, takes over a dismal team fresh off one of its worst seasons. He gets paired with a quarterback who has flashed lots of promise but lingering questions about him in Drew Brees. Then, through a mixture of offensive firepower and timely big plays on defense and special teams, they fostered a remarkable turnaround that got them to the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears share much in common with those Saints.

How they came together is one. Head coach Ben Johnson, like Payton, arrived in Chicago following one of the team’s worst seasons. He was a highly touted offensive wizard surrounded by questions on if he had the leadership necessary to turn around such a listless organization. He paired with Caleb Williams, who, like Brees, had loads of talent but lingering concerns about his true long-term viability. Most expected a bumpy road ahead that first season. What followed was a magical run to 11-6 and a division title, reigniting a dormant fanbase.

When you look at the actual metrics, the parallels between the two teams are kind of spooky. Offensively, they’re almost identical in yardage and touchdown passes, were both top 10 in points scored, and each won their playoff opener at home with a comeback.

Why this comparison is great news…….and why it’s not.

Following that 2006 season was the start of a truly special run for the Saints. Payton and Brees formed the most lethal coach-quarterback combination in football, putting up ungodly numbers and carrying the organization to its greatest stretch of success in its history. Brees would cement himself as a no-doubt Hall of Famer, setting multiple passing records, and Payton established himself as one of the great offensive minds of his generation. Together, they would bring a Super Bowl championship to New Orleans.

Bears fans have to love that, right? There was one problem. It took the Saints longer than they’d care to admit to get there. Despite getting so close in 2006, it ended up taking them another three years to finally reach the big game in 2009. This was because the next two seasons were characterized by defensive issues. It ranked 26th in 2007 and 23rd in 2008. New Orleans missed the playoffs both years despite excellent offensive performance. It took a while for them to build up that side of the ball with a mixture of fortunate draft hits (Roman Harper and Tracy Porter), savvy trades (Jonathan Vilma), and one big free agent hit (Darren Sharper).

This is the same problem the Bears face. Their defense was not good last season, despite leading the NFL in takeaways. Several clear roster holes remain unresolved. Holes that are likely not getting fixed this year. That means a defensive jump, if there is one, will be minor at best. That means, like the Saints, the offense will have to carry the load because it may take time for this problem to resolve. The project is far from finished.