Tight end has been a storied position in Chicago Bears history for a long time. You could argue the organization was the first to feature the modern version of dynamic pass-catchers with Mike Ditka in the 1960s. Since then, they’ve featured some really good players like Emery Moorehead, Desmond Clark, Martellus Bennett, and Greg Olsen. Yet all of them were individual standouts. None were part of a larger position group. For the first time, the Bears may have assembled a tight end room full of legitimate playmakers.

It started with Cole Kmet in 2020. The former 2nd round pick steadily developed into a solid receiving option while evolving as a blocker. While never a star, he was a weapon defenses couldn’t afford to ignore. Then Colston Loveland arrived as the 10th overall pick last year. His mix of dynamic speed, hands, and route-running made him almost an instant difference-maker in the passing game. Their success together drew the attention of former scout and longtime NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks, who placed the Bears tight end group into the top five best in the league.

Rank 4 – Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams’ spectacular sophomore season can be partly attributed to the Bears’ success in utilizing 12-personnel packages. Head coach Ben Johnson is on the verge of transforming Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet into an unstoppable pair that will force defensive coordinators to make tough decisions when attempting to slow a diverse offense with big-play threats all over the field. The TE tag team makes it nearly impossible for opponents to utilize bracket or double-coverage tactics on the perimeter, which should only help ascending WR1 Rome Odunze create even more problems.

In 2025, Loveland (6-6, 241) and Kmet (6-6, 257) combined for 88 catches, 1,060 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The duo should easily surpass those numbers this season, presuming more balls will head in their direction as Johnson continues to torment his play-calling foes by further embracing 12- and 13-personnel in his creative scheme. With third-round pick Sam Roush (6-6. 267) capable of stepping in as the TE3, the Bears have an emerging juggernaut with their big bodies on the field.

Were the Chicago Bears undersold at #4?

You could probably make a case. After all, both Loveland and Kmet made some absolutely clutch catches throughout last season. You had Loveland’s last-second stunner in Cincinnati, Kmet’s kill shot in Philadelphia, and of course, the 4th down prayer against the Rams to force overtime in the playoffs. Having the Las Vegas Raiders ranked ahead of them, despite finishing with the worst record in the NFL last season, feels a little unfair. That said, being ranked that high after just one season together is beyond promising.

Then you throw Sam Roush into the mix. Here is a young player who is already a stellar blocker from his time at Stanford. Yet when you watch closer, you see more athleticism and pass-catching potential than you may realize. Some see him as a carbon copy of Kmet. If that is true, the Bears offense is even more dangerous than it was last season. Defenses couldn’t contain Kmet and Loveland as a pair. They won’t have anybody left to account for Roush if he develops as hoped.

Don’t forget the man pulling the strings.

Ben Johnson was lethal as an offensive playcaller in Detroit when he had one good tight end, Sam LaPorta. Now try imagining him with three. It’s bordering on unfair. Remember, the Bears also have pretty good players at wide receiver. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden are both explosive pass catchers in their own right. Add a top-five ground attack on top of it all, and you have the makings of perhaps the best offense in Chicago Bears history. That isn’t something modern fans ever thought would be possible.

No position group has evolved more over the past quarter-century in the NFL than tight ends. They went from a nice #2 or #3 weapon, who also served as an extra blocker, to the focal point of entire offenses. Now, the next stage in that metamorphosis is building the position depth, like you would at wide receiver. Los Angeles was already ahead of the game last year. Chicago took a major step toward catching up by drafting Roush. If everybody stays healthy, they’ll be coming for that #1 spot in the rankings soon enough.

J.T. Barrett took one of the most difficult jobs on the Chicago Bears coaching staff when he arrived in 2025. He would be the quarterbacks coach for Caleb Williams. This presented a challenge. Everybody knew head coach Ben Johnson would be the primary play caller. He’d be the one forming the most crucial relationship with Williams. What did that leave Barrett to do? He needed to be Johnson’s mouthpiece, relaying specific instructions to his young quarterback to ensure his development was on the right track.

Barrett revealed what his primary focus has been this offseason as preparations get underway for 2026. It isn’t some grand plan. All of his efforts are centered around one objective: to get Williams to rely less on the Superman cape.

“Late in some of those games, we were making some heroic plays … but it wasn’t necessary if we execute in the first quarter and second quarter. We might be up two touchdowns by the time we get to the fourth quarter.

“We can be efficient and take what the defense is giving. You don’t necessarily have to put the cape on and make those crazy plays because you already were killing them in the first three quarters.”

Williams led seven 4th quarter comebacks last season. He did so with some of the most ludicrous moments a Bears quarterback has ever achieved. While it was incredible to watch, it is also not sustainable. You can’t bank on making ridiculous comebacks every year. The Bears must learn how to seize control of games early. That starts with the quarterback trusting the system.

Caleb Williams has always been a big-game hunter.

His mix of elite mobility and jaw-dropping arm talent has enabled him to scorch defenses with big plays throughout his football career. It worked in high school. It worked in college. Of course, he’d believe it would work in the NFL. At times it has, but defenses are too talented and too well-coached to allow it frequently enough. That became especially true in the playoffs. Williams was uncharacteristically intercepted five times in the two games against Green Bay and Minnesota. Part of the problem was that the quarterback was trying to do too much.

A perfect example is his final throw. In overtime against Los Angeles, he had the Bears driving toward a potential game-winning field goal. It was 2nd and 8 at the Rams 48. There was well over six minutes left. Williams had no need to rush. He had a checkdown to Kyle Monangai that would’ve likely set up a manageable 3rd and 4. Instead, he went for the kill shot to D.J. Moore down the middle. That moment of greed led to an interception. Los Angeles drove down the field and won the game on a kick of their own.

Barrett understands his job well.

After all, he was a quarterback in his playing days, too. He was immensely successful at Ohio State, winning Big Ten Player of the Year three times and helping them win a national championship in 2014. He understands the demands of the position and how such players think. That made him uniquely qualified to be the one who communicated with Caleb Williams. One proven method for getting them to improve is by staying on their case about specific things. Bill Walsh routinely grilled Joe Montana and Steve Young about footwork. For Williams, it must be about seizing opportunities instead of forcing them.

That means get the ball to the open guy, even if he’s the shorter option. Often, the best way to beat NFL defenses is to wear them down with minor jabs after minor jabs. Then, when the timing is right, throw the haymaker. Williams can already do the latter. If he can learn the former, then defending him and the Bears’ offense will become a near-impossible task. Sometimes it takes a while for quarterbacks of his type to embrace such a playing style. Yet the results are almost always beautiful when they do.

The Chicago Bears stadium saga has reached a point where fans are over the drama. They’re tired of hearing updates because it feels like each one offers nothing but veiled bickering between the franchise and government officials. Whatever the case, here is what we know. The PILOT bill, or Megaprojects bill, that the Bears need passed to secure property tax and infrastructure support, is stuck in the Illinois State Senate. Various parties are going back and forth on the changes needed to it to get their vote. By all accounts, the Bears haven’t handled the process well.

A big part of the problem is that they haven’t submitted a traffic study. This is a deeply researched presentation on how the infrastructure funding would be used to upgrade the surrounding area around the stadium to help with increased traffic. Without one, the government has no clue what the Bears will do with that money once they get it. As a result, stalling continues. With one week left before the state legislatures adjourn for the year, Governor J.B. Pritzker made it sound like divine intervention might be needed to push this thing across the finish line.

“I’ve seen miracles happen every year. Every single year,” Pritzker said after an unrelated event in Joliet when asked about his assessment of the legislature passing a last-minute bill to incentivize the Bears in the state. “I feel confident that there will be a bill that gets brought up in the Senate, and then hopefully they’ll pass it and send it over to the House, and that bill will be about whether or not we’re keeping them in the state of Illinois or letting them go to Indiana.”

The Chicago Bears stadium issue is teetering on a knife-edge.

Everybody knows the team has narrowed its choices down to two. Either they build in Arlington Heights as originally planned, or they go to Hammond, Indiana. Both locations are the same distance away from downtown. The Bears own the Arlington property, and Indiana has agreed to provide infrastructure and property tax support. Multiple insiders have insisted that Hammond is not a leverage play or a bluff. The Bears are more than willing to take that route. They’ve wanted to give Illinois time to come around.

Progress seemed promising earlier this year. They’d gotten through the House successfully. Only the Senate remains. Unfortunately, it has turned into a mud pit. Multiple parties are trying to dip their hands into the cookie jar, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has complicated matters further by insisting the Bears should stay in the city. Is it possible that all of this can be resolved in the next seven days? Given how slow this thing has moved for the past three years, Pritzker is right. A miracle is needed.

We’ll have a definitive answer, one way or another, by June.

If the Chicago Bears stadium bill passes, they’re building in Arlington Heights. End of story. If it doesn’t pass, the team will be left with one of two choices. Either they start the process of moving to Indiana, or they decide to wait it out until the legislature reconvenes. If it ends up being the latter, we’ll finally know that Hammond had always been a bluff after all. Either way, it will be a relief for Bears fans because they won’t have to wonder which direction things will go anymore.

There is a popular saying in sports. Deadlines spur action. It is possible that Illinois politicians knew they had until the 31st to negotiate changes to this bill before finally passing it. Letting the Bears leave the state is not likely to go over well with many citizens, and that could come back to bite them in future elections. The Bears have maintained their stance that Arlington or Hammond are the two choices. They’re willing to wait things out until the end of the month. The ball is in Springfield’s court now.

Drafting Logan Jones in the 2nd round was met with mixed reviews by experts at the time. Many felt the Iowa center was more of a 3rd round prospect, largely because of his short arms and advanced age (25). The Chicago Bears didn’t see it that way. Head coach Ben Johnson identified a smart, unselfish, and polished player with glittering character. His no-quit style of play and intangibles as a leader would fit perfectly in this offense. However, the NFL’s biggest concern is allowing Jones to fall into Dan Roushar’s hands.

Chicago’s offensive line coach is one of the best in the business. While he may coach all five positions, center might be his best. Three different players have gone on to make the Pro Bowl under his guidance. Drew Dalman is one. Erik McCoy is another. Yet the name that should truly interest Bears fans is Max Unger. New Orleans traded for the veteran center in 2015, where he became a captain and made the Pro Bowl in 2018.

Not only did Drew Brees have arguably the best season of his career that season, but the Saints were also 7th in rushing. Unger was a driving force behind it all.

Logan Jones mirrors Unger in several ways.

Coming out of Oregon in 2009, Unger was considered too light for the NFL and had shorter-than-average arms. Teams worried about his overall lack of power. Still, they noted he was a gifted athlete with great instincts who demonstrated awareness and technique in pass protection. The clip above shows it. He gets a quick first punch on the defensive tackle, stalling his momentum, and constantly moves his feet to maintain balance. Then, on the next play, he keeps his hands in front of him and maintains proper leverage, allowing Brees to go for the touchdown.

If you watch Logan Jones in college, he exhibits similar qualities. Knowing he can’t swallow defenders with size or brute force them with power, he utilizes quick hands, quick feet, and tenacity to stay in front of them. So many reps like this are textbook.

For all the talk about Dalman being the comparison for Jones, the truth is his playing style mirrors Unger. He was a better pass protector than Dalman. If this is the type of center Roushar now has, then the Bears’ offensive line has a chance to be even better than it was last year. Likely over a longer period of time, too.

Unger’s importance was never fully appreciated.

Trading him was one of the worst mistakes the Seattle franchise ever made. They flipped him to the Saints in 2015, believing they could replace him while getting Jimmy Graham. They’d just gone to two Super Bowls, winning one of them with him in the middle. After he left, they never even made it back to the NFC Championship, and their running game fell apart as well. Meanwhile, the Saints’ offense went from pass-happy to one of the most well-balanced in the NFL. That 2018 team was probably the best one they had since the Super Bowl season in 2009 and should’ve reached the Super Bowl.

Unger retired the following season, and again with him went their balance. That is what Logan Jones potentially represents for the Bears. He is a well-rounded player who can impact the run and passing games. His leadership and character were considered elite even before getting into the league. Putting Roushar in charge of him is the final cherry on the sundae. He saw firsthand what Unger brought to the table. He’ll almost certainly use the same plan for Jones.

Tyrique Stevenson went into last season as a starting cornerback for the Chicago Bears. Nothing seemed amiss through the first month of the season. He still had his occasional mishaps, but also made some huge plays. The forced fumble against Dallas was one of the biggest of the season. However, as the midpoint of the year arrived, Stevenson’s playing time started dipping. Jaylon Johnson and Nahshon Wright became the primary pairing, but even other names got more snaps than he did. People couldn’t understand why. Defensive backs coach Al Harris finally shed some light on that.

In speaking with Clocker Sports this past week, he was asked about Stevenson’s up-and-down season and the dip in playing time. Harris stated that towards the end of the season, the cornerback became much more of a team player. This suggests that coaches weren’t happy with his approach on the practice field or during games. He was focused too much on standing out individually and not enough on doing his job. That was never going to fly under Harris. As a result, the Bears started giving snaps to other guys.

“I think he did an excellent job towards the end of the season of just being a team player. I think he matured. I think last year matured Tyrique into the guy that you guys are going to see moving forward.”

The benching certainly got something out of Tyrique Stevenson.

Through the 10 games where he was designated a starter, he was targeted 52 times for 558 yards. In the five games when his playing time diminished, he was targeted 13 times for just 59 yards. His coverage grade over that stretch was the highest of his career. It seems Harris and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen got his attention by doing that. The timing certainly played a part as well. Don’t forget Stevenson is coming towards the end of his rookie contract. This 2026 season will be the final year. He’s running out of time to position himself for a lucrative payday. Getting benched is not good for his wallet at all.

The cornerback posted a video of himself working out a couple of weeks ago. In it, he mentioned that he was rededicating himself more than ever because of his family. After all, he is a father now. It isn’t just about his own personal goals. Stevenson has a family to feed. He wants his son to be proud of him when the two eventually reminisce about his career. That is probably why Harris sounds so confident about his progress. He can see the growing maturity and focus in real time.

The Bears will need him.

Already, they’re having problems at cornerback before OTAs have even started. Jaylon Johnson is staying away from practices. Kyler Gordon is dealing with another injury. It is pretty obvious that Tyrique Stevenson will see significant playing time regardless of whether he beats out rookie Malik Muhammad for the starting job or not. What once looked like an audition for other teams has quietly shifted to a realistic chance to snatch a contract extension in Chicago. That is how uncertain things are with others on the roster.

General manager Ryan Poles is probably thrilled about that. He has always believed Stevenson is capable of being a great player. The talent was never the issue. It was always about developing the focus professionals need. Thanks to Harris’s influence and some mistakes made along the way, the cornerback seems ready to take his game to another level. Such a development would be a great sign for the defense’s overall prospects this season. They have enough things to worry about.

Make no mistake. The pass rush is absolutely a concern for the Chicago Bears‘ defense. When you can’t consistently harass the opposing quarterback, you’re going to pay a price. Their decision to maintain the status quo personnel-wise carries a significant risk. That said, it might be time to finally acknowledge the truth. As concerning as the pass rush remains, it was not the Bears’ biggest problem last season. It was something far more fundamental and, at least for modern-day fans, boring.

The Bears couldn’t stop the run.

Any coach who says the essence of football is running the ball and stopping the run would be accused of being outdated these days. Yet the fundamental rule has never changed. Stopping the run is directly tied to rushing the passer. If you can’t do the former, then doing the latter will be much more difficult. The Bears were bad across the board in this regard. Their 134.5 yards per game allowed was 7th-worst in the NFL. They were 22nd in yards after contact allowed and 31st in yards before contact allowed. In other words, they were constantly blown off the ball and didn’t tackle well.

Worst of all, this was happening despite ranking 10th in the most stacked (8+ defenders) boxes in the league.

The Chicago Bears defense had discipline problems.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen admitted earlier this month that he and his staff didn’t do a good enough job coaching up players on fundamentals. This was because they were so focused on installing his system that they left things uncorrected too often. He was talking about the pass rush at the time, but it was also true of their run defense. One of the more interesting stats was rush percentage. This measured how often opposing teams attacked you inside or outside the tackles.

No unit in the NFL was run against outside the tackle more in 2025 than the Chicago Bears defense at 57.8%. This means their defensive ends were not good at setting the edge on run plays, and their linebackers were equally bad at corralling running backs. Look at the video above. Tremaine Edmunds does a poor job of reading where the ball is going and gets caught up in traffic. Dayo Odeyingbo is blown off the ball too far out of the play, allowing Las Vegas to double-team Andrew Billings, springing Raheem Mostert for a 29-yard gain.

It’s much the same with the play below. Dominique Robinson gets caught trying to sneak inside rather than sticking to his responsibility of holding the edge. This allowed Green Bay’s right tackle to pick off C.J. Gardner-Johnson from making a play, leading to a relatively easy 14-yard gain.

Seeing this makes it easier to understand the Bears’ investments.

They put money into three new defensive tackles in Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch while adding linebackers Devin Bush and Jack Sanborn. Lynch had 12 run stops last season in 152 snaps. Street had 11 in 106. Bush had an excellent run defense grade of 87.3 with 44 run stops. Sanborn has been a solid run defender for years. Pass rush was not the focus for the Bears when they made those additions. They wanted guys who could crowd the line of scrimmage and stop the run.

It was much the same in the draft. First round pick Dillon Thieneman, while an all-around player, was known best for his instinctive and physical presence in run defense. Their 5th round pick, Keyshaun Elliott, displayed a great mix of diagnostic and tackling prowess as a run defender for Arizona State. Even 6th round defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg showed the strength and leverage to hold his ground on the interior while having the speed to chase down ball carriers.

This offseason approach was telegraphed a decade ago.

When Allen arrived as the New Orleans Saints’ new defensive coordinator in 2015, he took over one of the worst defenses in NFL history. Most would assume he focused on bolstering the pass rush before anything else, right? Nope. Through those first two offseasons with the team, you’ll notice that the primary investments on defense were oriented more towards run defense. It started with inside linebacker Stephone Anthony in the 1st round in 2015, then defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins in the 1st round the next year, with strong safety Vonn Bell in the 2nd. Allen knew he couldn’t do anything defensively until they could slow the run down.

He was proven correct. They went from 31st to 14th against the run in his second season. By year three, they were the 10th-best scoring defense in the NFL. People always talk about how great the 2018 Chicago Bears defense was at rushing the passer with 50 sacks. They forget the team was also #1 in the NFL against the run. They are two halves of the same coin. There is no question that this team’s pass rush needs help, but one way to do so is to stop the bleeding on the ground.