The Chicago Bears didn’t feel like a team that was looking for wide receiver help in the 2nd round of the NFL draft. They already had Rome Odunze from the previous year and had just selected Colston Loveland a round earlier. Whispers suggested head coach Ben Johnson hoped to land running back help, particularly Treyveon Henderson of Ohio State. That dream died when he was selected 38th overall by New England. Undeterred, the Bears decided to stick to their board, scooping up wide receiver Luther Burden from Missouri.

It was a surprising pick. There were whispers of Burden being somewhat difficult to manage, not liking practice. That reputation is a significant reason why he didn’t go in the first round, despite his considerable talent. The Bears didn’t care. They felt he could transform into something special. Looking back, they were right on the money. Burden has become Chicago’s most explosive weapon. In fact, according to Establish The Run, he now owns a record no other rookie has touched in the NFL’s modern era.

Luther Burden is among the elitest company.

For those who are unfamiliar, Yards Per Route Run is an advanced metric that divides a receiver’s total yardage by the number of routes they ran. It’s meant to show how productive a player is based on the number of opportunities they get. The higher the number, the more dangerous the wide receiver is. That is why you often find the best wide receivers in the NFL sit atop the list. To help illustrate how ridiculous Burden has been this year, here are some other rookie numbers from some names you probably know.

• Odell Beckham Jr. – 2.75
• A.J. Brown – 2.67
• Justin Jefferson – 2.65
• Puka Nacua – 2.59
• Ja’Marr Chase – 2.51

Think about that. There is a strong probability that Jefferson and Chase will end up in the Hall of Fame. The same could be the case for Nacua if he keeps up his current pace. The fact that Luther Burden is in the same conversation as those guys should tell you everything. He isn’t even getting the primary focus in the Bears’ offense. That is certain to change in the near future. Add the fact that Caleb Williams will be his quarterback and Johnson his head coach, and there is no telling how high he can ascend.

Matt Eberflus was fired by the Chicago Bears for multiple reasons. His inability to build a competent coaching staff was one. The lack of knowledge on how to develop a young quarterback was another. However, most agree that what finally did him in was his constant inability to accept blame for things going wrong. Most agree the Hail Mary fiasco in Washington was where it started. He failed to accept his soft coverage call, which gave the Commanders a free 13 yards, was a mistake. Then it was his refusal to admit that he should’ve used a timeout on the final play, when it was clear guys weren’t lined up properly.

Try to act shocked that Eberflus is up to the same tricks with his new team. The Dallas Cowboys hired him as their defensive coordinator this past offseason. His unit ultimately finished 32nd in points allowed, wasting one of Dak Prescott’s best seasons at quarterback. When asked why things went so wrong for his unit, Eberflus couldn’t resist ducking blame by stating it was mostly the decision to trade All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons. Never mind the fact that the Cowboys drafted promising rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, then traded for All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

It still didn’t get better.

Matt Eberflus continues to prove how tone-deaf he really is.

The guy is so only school that he even embodies the mentality of a head coach who has little care for what his players think. He expects them to do what he says because it will work. If something goes wrong, that is because they didn’t do what he told them. There is no concept in his mind that he might be wrong. He may have gotten away with that in the 1960s or 1970s, but that won’t work in today’s era, where players are far more outspoken and less willing to shoulder the blame for their coaches’ shortcomings.

There is a very real chance Matt Eberflus is staring down the end of his NFL coaching career. It is hard to imagine anybody hiring him after what has happened the past two seasons. He may have to return to college. It would be pure karmic justice for Bears fans after listening to his soulless droning for so long. To think we went from that to Ben Johnson remains incredible to think about.

Caleb Williams is accomplishing something the NFL is not used to seeing from a quarterback so young. He already holds the NFL record for the fewest interceptions by a quarterback in his first 1,000 passes with 12. His 3.8-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio is also the second-best among quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 30 starts, trailing only Aaron Rodgers. While his overall efficiency still needs work, nobody can argue that he is the best young quarterback in the NFL at protecting the football.

Williams was asked about this achievement during his latest press conference. Ever the cheeky one, he says he borrowed some advice from Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford.

Stafford is renowned for having one of the strongest arms in the NFL for the past 15 years. He’s put that title to the test many times by throwing into tight coverages. Sometimes he’d deliver incredible highlights, and others he’d pay the price with an interception. What he says was primarily meant as a joke, but it came from a kernel of truth. One of the most popular sayings among football people is that defensive backs only play defensive back because they can’t catch. If they could catch, they’d be wide receivers.

Caleb Williams’ secret goes beyond just throwing the ball hard.

Jay Cutler had a cannon, too, and he threw a ton of interceptions. Brett Favre had arguably the strongest arm in NFL history and leads the league in career interceptions. It isn’t just about how hard you can throw. It is about where you put the football. Williams goes out of his way to make sure he throws the ball in areas where only his receivers have a realistic shot at it. While this does a great job of keeping his interceptions low, it also has contributed to his league-low completion percentage. So there are some drawbacks.

There is no question that Caleb Williams is correct in his statement. If you throw passes hard enough, it becomes more difficult for defensive backs to catch them, since that was never their strength in football. However, there are other factors in play. Williams makes good decisions and places the ball well. Trusting his arm strength alone would be reckless. Stafford learned that the hard way in Detroit during his early years. Thankfully, Williams has done his homework.

The Chicago Bears face several challenges ahead in the 2026 offseason. Everybody knows they have to do something to fix their defense. It’s been the clear weak link of this team in its push to make the playoffs. The problem is they don’t have a ton of resources to accomplish that goal. While they have all their important draft picks, they lack substantial spending money. This could require substantial creativity from GM Ryan Poles to solve their core issues. One idea circulating is the trade market. More specifically, flipping DJ Moore for Maxx Crosby.

There is plenty of logic to it. The Las Vegas Raiders are about to select a quarterback in the 2026 draft. Outside of Brock Bowers, they don’t have any proven weapons in the passing game to aid such a rookie. Adding a proven veteran like Moore makes sense. Meanwhile, Crosby has reached a boiling point with the organization after being placed on IR against his wishes, which many feel was a deliberate tanking decision. With a rebuild on the horizon, it’s hard not to imagine Crosby asking for a trade. The Bears sorely need a dynamic pass rusher.

He would be perfect.

Obviously, there would be the question of draft compensation. Moore alone won’t be enough to justify giving Crosby up. That said, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was asked about both situations. He didn’t outright dismiss the idea.

Moore is due $24.5 million in cash for next year. He turns 29 in April. In today’s market, that’s not bad for a complementary receiver who, to be fair, has had a down year statistically with 49 catches for 671 yards and six touchdowns. To me, the comfort level of a young quarterback is paramount, and Moore’s certainly a factor in that.

I think to move off Moore, you’d have to have a better option in front of you.

As for Crosby, I think this is probably the closest he’s been to asking for a trade—and I’m not saying he will. The history of the franchise, and his place in it, are certainly still draws for Crosby, as is his relationship with the Davis family. But for the first time, his age, mileage and workload seem to be showing up with injuries and in his play down the stretch. If he’s feeling his football mortality a bit (he’ll be 29 on opening day of the 2026 season), that would be understandable, and that could push him to pursue a ring elsewhere.

The Bears can afford to surrender DJ Moore if Crosby is the prize.

They’re the same age, for starters. Crosby plays a more impactful position. More importantly, the Bears are now equipped to survive the loss of a quality weapon like DJ Moore. Rome Odunze was already showing signs of becoming a #1 receiver early in the season before suffering a foot injury. Then Luther Burden exploded onto the national scene in recent weeks, showcasing his enormous playmaking potential. Add Colston Loveland to the mix, and Caleb Williams should have no problem finding opening guys without Moore.

Whereas if you add Crosby to their defensive front with Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, you suddenly have a legitimate pass rush. Poles would then be able to focus his efforts on other positions, such as defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety. Those are much easier to address in the later rounds of a draft compared to edge rusher. Will this happen? Most likely not. The Raiders have been super reluctant even to entertain the idea of trading Crosby. He’d have to force the issue. As for Moore, the Bears seem happy with him, and his chemistry with Williams has grown a lot over the past few months.

Defense has long been the defining characteristic of success for the Chicago Bears, going back decades. Look at every great season the franchise has put together in the modern era, and you will find a top defense leading the way. It was true in 1985, again in 2006, 2010, and 2018. This year has been a major shift for Bears fans. For the first time in maybe ever, it’s been the Bears offense that has charted the course to a playoff berth. Chicago is 3rd in yards and 10th in points. Much of this is due to the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson, but also the work done by GM Ryan Poles.

Several key additions he’s made over the past couple of years are bearing fruit, headlined by Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland. People are left wondering why the defense has fallen behind. There are some obvious reasons, including some poor free agent investments, such as Al-Quadin Muhammad, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Grady Jarrett. However, there is a simpler explanation that many people haven’t acknowledged.

Poles has yet to invest a single 1st round pick in the defense across four off-seasons.

Ryan Poles has been focused on building a foundation for a quarterback.

In addition to selecting Williams, he also secured a bookend tackle, a playmaking receiver, and a dynamic tight end. It was a calculated decision, make no mistake. Poles understood that if he wanted to get this team established as a consistent playoff contender, he had to find a quarterback and surround him with help. That has finally been accomplished. Unfortunately, it left the Bears GM with a difficult challenge: to build a competitive defense with Day 2-3 picks, free agents, and trade acquisitions.

It wasn’t a complete failure. Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, Austin Booker, T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, and Tyrique Stevenson have all had strong moments. The problem is that none of them are stars. If you look back at the greatest Bears defenses in the Super Bowl era, all of them were fueled by 1st round picks.

1985:

• Dan Hampton
• Otis Wilson
• Wilber Marshall
• William Perry

2006:

• Brian Urlacher
• Tommie Harris

2018:

• Kyle Fuller
• Leonard Floyd
• Roquan Smith

People say Ryan Poles can’t build a defense. A more accurate statement is that he hasn’t really tried yet. That is about to change. Chicago is all but guaranteed to use a 1st round pick on defense for the first time since 2018 next spring. This is good news, not just because the unit can use the help, but also because Poles’ track record in the 1st round is starting to look pretty good. All four of his picks to date have become highly productive. If he can land a hit on somebody of similar caliber to Wright or Loveland, the Bears defense will be in serious business.

The Chicago Bears defense was never good this year. People understood that. It had serious flaws, particularly up front with their inability to rush the passer or stop the run consistently. Still, they’ve managed to make it work thanks to a knack for forcing turnovers and bowing up in the red zone. In fact, until recently, the unit appeared to be at least moving in a positive direction. In a five-week span between November 16th and December 14th, the defense allowed an average of 18.2 points per game and never more than 350 total yards. That changed the past two weeks, and one insider believes the reason centers on Montez Sweat.

Green Bay put up 395 yards in the rematch at Soldier Field. Only a stellar red zone performance prevented more than 16 points. San Francisco had no such issues. They had 496 yards and 42 points. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune knows one player didn’t create that, but he feels there might be something going on with Sweat. His playing time has dipped in the past couple of weeks, leading the insider to think he might be dealing with an undisclosed injury.

While defensive end Montez Sweat has not been on the injury report of late, I suspect he’s dealing with something. No one has shared any information with me; it’s just a hunch I have. Sweat was on the field for 45 snaps (62.5%) at San Francisco and 49 (68.1%) the week before against Green Bay, and that’s below his typical rate. Generally he plays a little more than 75% of the snaps. Considering both games were very close, I’m of the mind that he’s dealing with some kind of ailment that has led the coaching staff to closely monitor his playing time.

Montez Sweat is the only viable difference-maker the Bears have.

There have been four games this season where the defensive end has had at least one sack and two quarterback hits. The Bears are 4-0 in those games and allowed 20 points or fewer in three of them. Conversely, things get pretty bad for them when his snaps dip below 70%. Two of them were the San Francisco game and the first game in Detroit, where the Lions hung 52 points on the Bears. The Tez Factor still appears to be very real for Chicago. When he’s healthy and having a consistent impact, the defense is fine.

This revelation from Biggs is not ideal. Whatever injury Montez Sweat may be dealing with could linger into the playoffs. Most of the offenses the Bears could face there are well-coached and talented. Asking the defense to get stops without a healthy Sweat is begging for trouble. This is why everybody knows the pass rush will be the focal point of their offseason efforts next spring. Austin Booker has commendably tried to step up in recent weeks, but it’s not enough. They need Sweat at his best, and he’s not there right now.

Many people are unhappy about the Chicago Bears‘ decision to play their starters this Sunday against the Detroit Lions. In their eyes, chasing the #2 seed when they’re guaranteed the #3 seed anyway isn’t logical. It would be much more valuable to give your best players a week of rest, healing up nagging injuries, before embarking on a grueling playoff campaign. Yet Ben Johnson stated with zero room for debate that the Bears would be playing the starters and going for the win at Soldier Field.

There are some selfish reasons for this. Caleb Williams is 109 yards away from setting the single-season franchise record for passing yards and 270 away from 4,000. Chicago also would love some proper revenge on the Lions for that 52-21 humiliation back in September at Ford Field. However, the real reasons for chasing the win boil down to simple math. Remember, Johnson graduated college with degrees in mathematics and computer science. He’s a big believer in numbers, and two of them show why he is correct in his decision.

Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns of CHGO laid them out.

That’s particularly true in the wild-card round. Over the past four seasons, home teams are 19-5 in the playoffs, including 5-1 last season. The Bears are 6-1 at home this season with their final game remaining against the Lions.

It also helps that Williams is better at Soldier Field. He has a 99.1 passer rating at home – which includes 13 touchdowns against one interception – compared to 84.1 on the road.

Ben Johnson also has history on his side.

In the Super Bowl era, the Bears have played 24 playoff games. They are 8-8 at home. That may not sound good until you realize they’re 2-6 on the road. Both Super Bowl runs they made came with homefield advantage in the playoffs. Johnson isn’t naive. Winning on the road is difficult in any circumstance. Winning on the road in the playoffs is doubly difficult. The Williams numbers speak for themselves. He has 13 touchdowns and one interception in seven home games this season.

Yes, injuries are a risk. That is the NFL. It’s a violent sport. Yet, downplaying the value of a second guaranteed home game in the playoffs is anathema to Ben Johnson. The playoffs are a place where the margins for error are razor-thin. You are doing yourself an enormous disservice by not trying to seize every possible advantage you can get. The numbers don’t lie. Going after an extra home game while maybe giving your quarterback an extra jolt of confidence can pay huge dividends down the line.

People talk about the quarterback divide between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers all the time. It’s true. When you throw Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers against the assortment of names the Bears have marched out there for the past 30 years, it’s pretty easy to win games. However, it doesn’t stop there. Green Bay has also enjoyed a significant edge in coaching. Mike Holmgren has a case for the Hall of Fame. Mike McCarthy has been highly successful for two different teams, including Green Bay. Matt Lafleur has one losing season since 2019. Dealing with that is a nightmare.

Thankfully, it sounds like the Packers are about to take a significant hit this coming offseason. One of their bright spots the past two years has been Jeff Hafley. Since arriving as defensive coordinator, he has turned the Packers into a top-10 unit. Injuries have weakened them significantly this year, but they’re still credible because of Hafley’s crafty schemes. Unfortunately, this comes with a price. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the coach is receiving a lot of interest on the upcoming head coaching circuit.

It’s hot enough that people would be shocked if somebody did not hire him.

There are several options here. The field is as wide open as I can remember. It’s missing the proverbial golden goose, eliciting several different answers from industry sources over the past few weeks. Former or recently fired head coaches could be happy with this cycle, and interview quality will absolutely matter. But I’ll go with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. He’s part of the cluster of strong defensive-minded candidates this cycle. He seems to have some traction in New York, too. I’ve heard his name linked to the Giants job a few times in my calls over the past week, and I expect him to be on their list. Hafley is also a geographical fit as a Montvale, New Jersey, native.

The Chicago Bears are aware of the importance of Hafley.

He is one of the few defensive minds in the NFL who has managed to give Ben Johnson a legitimate challenge. The Bears’ head coach has gone against him four times since the start of the 2024 season. His offense scored more than 24 points only once. That may not sound like an accomplishment, but it certainly is, given Johnson’s reputation. Replacing somebody like that is extremely difficult. Green Bay risks downgrading at a crucial coaching position right when their Super Bowl window is supposed to be open.

There is no doubt this outcome benefits the Chicago Bears. If the Packers lose Hafley and end up replacing him with somebody less capable of playing the chess match, Johnson will take advantage. This team has almost never had a true advantage on the coaching front in the division, save for brief instances in the mid-2000s and mid-1980s. Hafley is one of the reasons Green Bay is in the playoffs this year. Losing him threatens to push them into territory they don’t want to be in.