Everybody inside Halas Hall has made it clear throughout this offseason that there is only one goal for the Chicago Bears. It isn’t a winning record. It isn’t a division title. Winning the Super Bowl is all that matters. Anything else would be a failure. That is why head coach Ben Johnson treated the 2025 season as a disappointment. As magical and thrilling a ride as it was, the end result wasn’t what he or anybody else wanted. That is why the 2026 Bears are starting from scratch.

This organization has been chasing that elusive second Lombardi trophy for over 40 years now. They’ve come close a couple of times, but things never quite lined up. That was because they didn’t meet one or two of the critical requirements that make a Super Bowl champion. After doing research, I’ve concluded that there are five essential categories that lead to this outcome in today’s NFL. Let’s dig into how many this Bears team meets, and which ones might be holding them back.

How many Super Bowl boxes do these Chicago Bears check?

1. A Top 10 NFL passer

In today’s league, there is no denying the facts. If you want to compete for championships, you must be able to throw the football. That means putting up passing yards and/or touchdowns. The era of winning with great defense and running the ball is well and truly dead. Looking back over recent history, you’ll find that the vast majority of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks finished in the top 10 in passing yards or touchdowns or both. It has happened in 11 of the last 15 seasons. The only times it didn’t were Jalen Hurts in 2024, Nick Foles in 2017, Peyton Manning in 2015, and Joe Flacco in 2012.

The Chicago Bears: Pass. Caleb Williams checked both boxes last season, as it turns out. He finished 7th in passing yards with 3,941 and 6th in touchdown passes with 27. If he can stay in that window moving forward, the Bears will be in a great spot to continue competing for championships. It certainly isn’t something previous quarterbacks have offered this team. Only Jay Cutler came remotely close, and he often coupled all the numbers with lots of interceptions. Williams manages to get there without too many mistakes.

2. A Top 5 head coach

Of the four major American sports, head coaches matter by far the most in the NFL. Not only must they be leaders of men, but also strategists, tacticians, and, quite often, actual play callers on offense or defense. You’ll often find that okay or even good head coaches aren’t enough. They must be really good or great if you want to win a championship in this league. Looking back over the past 15 years, 11 different head coaches have won the Super Bowl.

Two of them, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, are no doubt Hall of Famers. Sean McVay, Pete Carroll, and Tom Coughlin are probably getting in as well. A strong case can be made for Bruce Arians, too. There was no question that each of them was a top 5 coach in the league. John Harbaugh and Mike MacDonald also have arguments. Only Gary Kubiak and Doug Pederson are fringe cases.

The Bears: Pass. This one is tough. Ben Johnson has only coached for one year in the league. Determining whether he’s one of the five best in football off of that is challenging. Still, considering the Bears were 5-12 the year before he arrived, and he took them to 11-6 with a top 10 offense that he personally directed? That at least puts him in the conversation. We’ll see if he can sustain that momentum in his second season. Doing so would certainly strengthen his case.

3. A turnover differential of +7 or better

Ask any coach or executive inside the league what determines the fate of games the most, and a healthy portion of them will utter the same word: turnovers. Nothing swings the momentum faster than an interception or a recovered fumble. They can derail scoring threats and put your offense in advantageous scoring positions. By that same token, teams that give the ball away a lot tend to find themselves losing more often than not. The trick is maintaining a healthy gap between the two. You need more takeaways than giveaways. Based on recent metrics, the bar one needs to clear is +7. Ten of the last 15 champions did so.

The Bears: Pass. They owned this category in 2025, finishing with a whopping +22 turnover differential. The offense was effective at minimizing its mistakes, while the defense led the league with 30 takeaways. It is a big reason why the Bears made the playoffs and beat Green Bay in the wild card round. Unfortunately, those three interceptions against the Rams proved to be a killer. Maintaining this efficiency from year to year is difficult, so it will be interesting to see if they can do it again.

4. A Top 7 pass rush

The modern game of football rests on two pillars of truth. The best teams are those who can protect the quarterback and those who can get after the quarterback. Interestingly, the latter appears far more important than the former. Quite a few teams with average-to-below-average offensive lines have won the Super Bowl in the past several years. The same can’t be said for teams with average-to-below-average pass rushes. Of the past 15 champions, only five ranked outside the top seven in defensive pressure rate. Three of them involved Tom Brady.

The Bears: Fail. This one is pretty glaring for them. For all the takeaways they managed, it was done without much help from the pass rush. Chicago finished just 28th in the league in pressure rate, harassing quarterbacks at just a 28.9% clip. Meanwhile, the Rams, whom they lost to in the playoffs, were 5th. That team just spent multiple 1st round picks getting even better with Myles Garrett. The Chicago Bears? They insisted they should be fine with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, and a returning Dayo Odeyingbo.

5. A +100 point differential

The other part of winning football is simple: the offense must score more points than the opponent, and the defense must stop them from scoring. The trick is getting both to do that job at the same time. Teams that do often have a high point differential. This means they scored a lot more points than they gave up. When looking at the trend of the past 15 seasons, the threshold that most have to break is +100. Ten teams have done so. Another (the Rams in 2021) was +88. Three others were at least +50, and they all had elite defenses.

The Chicago Bears: Fail. While the 2025 team was must-see television, they weren’t the most proficient on both sides of the ball. They finished with a +26 point differential, with most of the heavy lifting coming on the offensive side of the ball. Only five teams have managed to hit that mark in the past 25 years. You can probably guess which ones.

• 2001: +108
• 2005: +128
• 2006: +138
• 2012: +108
• 2018: +149

This only reinforces how much of a missed opportunity that 2018 was. Sadly, they didn’t have the quarterback or head coach to get there. Good news? This team does. They also excel in the turnover differential. What they must find is a better pass rush and stiffer scoring defense. Until that happens, their chances of going all the way remain unlikely.

The Chicago Bears are confident their offense not only can duplicate what it accomplished last season, but improve on it. That’s saying a lot considering they were 6th in total yards and 9th in scoring. Part of that self-assurance comes from a key fact. Three of their biggest contributors last season were all rookies. Tight end Colston Loveland led the team with 713 yards. Running back Kyle Monangai had over 700 on the ground, and wide receiver Luther Burden posted 652 of his own.

Expectations are already high for Loveland, who some already see as one of the best tight ends in football. Monangai remains a primary contributor in the run game. However, the real excitement centers around Burden. Head coach Ben Johnson already said he’s buying stock in his young receiver. Everything he did well last year appears to have improved based on early practices. ESPN is also buying in. Their analyst, Tyler Fulghum, believes he is a top 5 talent at wide receiver, and 2026 will be his coming-out party.

Luther Burden couldn’t ask for a better setup.

“Luther Burden III’s second season in Chicago sets up nicely for him to break out in a BIG way. Ben Johnson calling plays. Caleb Williams at the trigger. DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus out the door, leaving 150 vacated targets from last year. Rome Odunze’s altered bone structure in his foot being his “new normal.” All these factors form a tantalizing opportunity for Burden to bust out. He already showed on tape as a rookie that he is elite with the ball in his hands.

His underlying efficiency metrics (albeit on a small sample), rank among some of the best all-time as a rookie. Had he reached qualifying thresholds, he would have ranked third among all WRs in yard per route run (2.92), behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Other rookies to post a YPRR north of 2.5 in the last decade include Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. That is the bull ceiling case for Burden: a top-5 player at his position currently going as WR28 in ESPN drafts.”

This Burden projection is not crazy.

There are a few reasons why. ESPN touched on two of them. Remember that Burden only had 60 targets last season and was within 30 yards of finishing second on the team in receiving. If that had averaged out to, let’s say, 168 targets, which was the average rate for a top-five receiver last season, he would’ve finished with 1,825 yards. While Burden likely won’t get that many targets with several other options on the field, it reinforces the statement that his getting more targets will lead to a substantial bump in production.

His Yards Per Route Run was also an important point, meaning he gets the absolute most out of every opportunity he’s given. This was with four dropped passes, mind you. The last factor that wasn’t mentioned is arguably the most important. He has Johnson running the offense. The Bears head coach is easily one of the two or three best offensive minds in the NFL. His ability to get his receivers open was a hallmark of his success in Detroit and carried over to his first year in Chicago.

Burden is a big enough threat by himself. With Johnson’s galaxy brain? He’s lethal.

Burden is out to erase another cloud over the organization.

People always talk about the Bears’ inability to draft and cultivate quarterbacks. They often don’t bring up how equally bad they’ve been with wide receivers. Since 2000, only two players drafted at the position have gone on to make a Pro Bowl. That was Marty Booker and Alshon Jeffery. Everybody else hovered between decent and bad. Luther Burden feels like somebody with all the tools to not just be good but a genuine superstar. Size? Check. Speed? Check. Hands? Check. Route-running and a good coach? Yes, indeed.

Chicago has never had a genuine homegrown top five receiver. Jeffery was as close as they got, but his peak didn’t last long. Burden has the best shot of anybody to cross that boundary. He’s hungry and motivated to show other teams they made a mistake passing on him last year. If these predictions come true, the Bears will be a team nobody wants to play. Stopping Loveland and that running game was hard enough last season. Add a top receiver to the mix, and you have a recipe for pain.

In case you haven’t noticed, the rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers has once again reached a fever pitch. For years, the Cheeseheads had dominated, crushing the Bears in almost every matchup for the better part of 17 years. It was a miserable existence for Chicago fans, forced to endure constant humiliation. Well, things took a sharp turn over the past year. Since the end of the 2024 season, the Bears have won three of their last four meetings against the Packers, including a decisive blow in the wild card round of the playoffs, which involved a comeback from down 21-3.

Green Bay fans suddenly felt that same nausea Bears fans had for years. They didn’t know how to respond, lashing out at their hated enemy with excuses and insults. Chicago didn’t exactly win with grace. They reveled in the misery of their longtime foes, taking every opportunity to remind them of that epic choke job in January. It hasn’t stopped, either. As the 4th of July celebrations took place across the country, some bold Bears fans decided to ruin a parade in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. It sits about an hour northeast of Green Bay. The true heart of Packers country.

They decked out a massive pickup truck with an inflated Bears helmet while kids in navy blue jerseys fired Super Soakers into the watching crowd, who chanted ‘Go, Pack, Go!’ at them.

Say this for Chicago Bears fans: they aren’t scared.

Simply wearing Bears gear up north is dicey. It could get you harassed in plenty of areas of the state. Building up an entire parade float just to rub it in their faces? That takes guts. Kudos to those Packer fans for not starting a riot. As heated as the rivalry is now, it’s important that people try to remember this is still just a game. There is a difference between being passionate and being belligerent. Besides, it’s not like they are innocent of pulling similar shenanigans. One fan even used a season ticket perk at Soldier Field to roam the sidelines in his Packers gear for every home game. He was eventually banned, going so far as to sue the Bears for violating his First Amendment rights.

So Green Bay fans should be careful complaining too loudly about stunts like this one at the parade. As antics go, it is PG-13 at best. If nothing else, it should help keep the heat between the two fanbases fresh in the quietest part of the NFL calendar. It is only going to get more venomous once the actual games start getting played. One can imagine the Packers are desperate for revenge after what happened in December and January.

Both matchups carry tons of weight.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will meet for the first time on October 11th at Lambeau Field. While that should give the Cheeseheads an advantage, there is a crucial storyline that won’t help matters. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL last season, stated he likely won’t return until midseason. That means getting back by week five is pretty much not happening. That means their defense, which really struggled to stop the Bears without Parsons, could be in trouble.

Then the rematch will take place at Soldier Field on Christmas Day. It will be only the third time in their long history that the two teams have met on the holiday. Chicago won the first matchup in 2005, while Green Bay took the second in 2011. There is a strong possibility this third one could be by far the most important if both are still in the playoff hunt by then.

Brian Urlacher has made his opinion known on the Chicago Bears stadium situation. He stated that he feels they belong at Soldier Field. It has been their home for decades, serving as the backdrop to some of the greatest moments in franchise history. There is no reason to leave it. Still, if they must, then at the very least, they should find a way to stay in Chicago. The city is where they’ve always played and where they belong. So you can imagine how the Hall of Fame linebacker felt when news broke that the team had shifted its focus away from Arlington Heights or Chicago to Hammond, Indiana.

Leaving the city is one thing, but the state as well? Aren’t they the pride and joy of Illinois? Something about it just feels wrong. Apparently, Urlacher decided to take advantage of the situation to get a little extra publicity at the Bears’ expense. It is common knowledge about city residents and commuters that Urlacher is the face of RESTORE Hair, a prominent business built on helping balding men restore their hairlines. They decided to use one of their billboard advertisements to troll the Bears.

Nobody can say Brian Urlacher can’t spot an opportunity.

The linebacker was always one of the smartest and most aware players on the field during his heyday. It’s only natural that he would know when there was an opening to make a play. Not only is the billboard stunt a great dig at the Bears for their will-they-won’t-they stadium nonsense, but it’s great publicity for the business he supports. A win-win. Urlacher has continued supporting the Bears in his usual media appearances. He believes strongly that this latest generation, led by quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson, could be the one to put the franchise back on top.

The positive vibes don’t extend to the people at the top. Team president Kevin Warren and owner George McCaskey have been under fire for their poor handling of the entire stadium process. They purchased land before putting in the necessary research on what it takes to build a new stadium. They dithered back and forth on different locations after purchasing that land and have flip-flopped constantly on what they want from the state regarding property taxes and infrastructure support.

A conclusion by the end of 2026 now feels unlikely.

The Bears are trapped in a mudpit. They haven’t been able to advance legislation that would get the necessary votes in the Illinois House and Senate. Conversely, their Indiana push has also met with problems. Not only are locals starting to resist the idea of a stadium in the region, but the actual land the team wants to build on is heavily protected with environmental legislation. Whichever direction the Bears choose to push will take considerable time to navigate. It feels like they’ve been trying to find the quickest route that would allow them to start building this year. That idea feels all but dead.

One thing is certain. Brian Urlacher is probably glad he’s not playing anymore. He was around in the early 2000s when the Bears bumbled their way through the Soldier Field renovations. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience and seemed to affect the team’s play during that period. He can only imagine what this circus must be like for current players. Johnson deserves plenty of credit for keeping them focused on the objective.

Few things impact the championship chances of a sports organization more than luck. The Chicago Bears understand that pretty well after their wild 2025 season. Luck played a central role in those seven 4th quarter comebacks they engineered, from blocking field goals to grabbing onside kicks. Sadly, luck is a double-edged sword and will turn against you sooner or later. That proved true in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. If the Bears want to go further this coming season, they may need to push that luck. It appears quarterback Caleb Williams understands this better than anybody. That is why he’s taking precautions.

Chicago was rocked by some stunning news in recent years when the Vatican elected Robert Francis Prevost as the new Pope. Not only was Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, an American, but he was a Chicago native. It was quickly common knowledge that he is a diehard White Sox fan, and yes, a Bears fan as well. Williams, ever the opportunist, decided to get on Leo’s good side by sending him an autographed jersey. After all, it can’t be a bad thing to get even a small nod from the Lord Almighty himself.

Caleb Williams is not dumb.

Some coincidences can’t be explained. Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8th, 2025. Since that time, strange things have been happening on the Chicago sports scene. The Cubs made the playoffs for the first time in years and beat San Diego in the wild card round. The Bulls caught a huge stroke of good fortune in the draft lottery, securing the #4 overall pick and with it uber-talented forward Caleb Wilson. Even the White Sox, by far the worst team in baseball just a couple of years ago, are now tied for first place in the American League Central division.

Is it a coincidence that all of this started happening once the Pope became a Chicagoan? Caleb Williams doesn’t plan on taking chances. After all, his team clearly benefited as well. Not only did the Bears land Ben Johnson as their new head coach, one of the best candidates to emerge in years, but they also delivered one of their best draft classes, headlined by Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai. Chicago rallied from a 0-2 start to win the division and beat the hated Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Talk about having your prayers answered.

A small nudge from a higher power couldn’t hurt.

After all, the Bears are staring down one of the toughest schedules in the NFL this coming season. It will feature six games against the always tough NFC North, along with matchups against Seattle, Buffalo, New England, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay. Navigating such a gauntlet will require skill, discipline, effort, and, yes, luck. Caleb Williams and his teammates know they’ll have the first three covered. It is that last one that is the biggest variable and the most uncontrollable.

Getting on the good side of the most powerful religious man in the world couldn’t hurt. Even the smallest nudge from the man up top can make the difference between champions and losers. For the longest time, it has felt like the Bears have been stuck in perpetual purgatory, never to escape. Now they’ve seen the light and are eager to walk toward it. Their quarterback is leading the way.

The Chicago Bears. The Green Bay Packers. It is a rivalry that runs parallel to the birth of the National Football League. You can’t tell its story without mentioning these two iconic franchises. They were there in the beginning and have been there ever since, serving as the bedrock of the league’s booming success. While many may not consider it the best rivalry in pro sports, it is certainly one of the most enduring. People also can’t say it lacks heat. These two teams have hated each other for a long time.

Two things we know about rivalries are that they bring lots of animosity and lots of memorable moments. The Bears and Packers have played each other 213 times. More than any other two franchises in American football history by a wide margin. Even today, there is a mystique about it whenever these teams play. Crazy stuff always seems to happen, which begs the question. What are the best games in the history of this rivalry? Let’s find out, shall we?

When was the Chicago Bears vs. the Green Bay Packers at its best?

#10. Lombardi Vs. Halas – 1961 Regular season, November 12th, Week 9

George Halas had dominated the NFL zeitgeist for 40 years by 1961, winning several championships. However, it was only a matter of time before somebody stepped up to challenge his crown. That man was Vince Lombardi. The future Packers icon had fallen short in the NFL championship game the year prior and was determined to right that wrong in 1961. He would have to get through the Bears to do it. That didn’t seem to be a problem as Green Bay trampled their way to a 31-7 lead by the 3rd quarter.

Chicago was undaunted, though. Led by rookie tight end Mike Ditka, the Bears stormed back with three unanswered scoring drives. Ditka had two of those touchdowns to make it 31-28. Green Bay was reeling. Sadly, there wasn’t enough time left. The Packers escaped with the victory and went on to win their first of five championships during the decade.

#9. Halas Gets Revenge – 1963 Regular season, September 15th, Week 1

Things were great for Green Bay by the start of 1963. After winning the title in ’61, they went right back to the championship game in 1962 and won it again. That meant they were in position to do something no franchise had ever done: win three in a row. Chicago didn’t appear to be a challenger anymore after a frustrating 5-6-1 record the previous year. Halas didn’t agree. He felt he’d assembled a strong enough roster to make a run. There was one problem. If that were to happen, the Bears would have to beat the Packers twice. He told that to his players before the opener that season.

The game was as tough and physical as expected. Both teams traded field goals in the 1st quarter before settling into a defensive slugfest. The Packers appeared to have the Bears at a standstill, but that quickly changed as Chicago’s defense kept intercepting Bart Starr. They would rob him four times in that game, and this helped the offense just enough to produce a touchdown drive in the 3rd quarter. That proved the difference in a 10-3 victory in Green Bay, ruining their rival’s championship celebration. The Bears would beat them again two months later, fulfilling Halas’ prophecy by winning the title at year’s end.

#8. The Thanksgiving Game – 2015 Regular season, November 26th, Week 12

The mid-2010s were the peak of Aaron Rodgers’ dominance in the rivalry. Going into this game, the Bears had lost 10 of their last 11 games against the Packers. Their only victory was one where Rodgers left early with a shoulder injury. Everything lined up for another beatdown. It was Thanksgiving night. It was at Lambeau Field and it was even Brett Favre Appreciation Night. If ever there was a game that signaled misery was looming for Bears fans, that was the one. Then? Things got weird.

For once, it was Green Bay’s running game that had the big night while Rodgers looked uncharacteristically off. The Bears’ defense was giving him some problems, and quarterback Jay Cutler played probably one of his best games against the Packers. He didn’t turn the ball over and led three critical scoring drives. Rodgers tried to steal the game with a late drive in the final seconds. Instead, he threw four straight incompletions from the 8-yard line to hand Chicago a monumental upset.

#7. The Chester Marcol Game – 1980 Regular season, September 7th, Week 1

Even when both teams weren’t good, some wild games tended to happen. This was a perfect example. The Chicago Bears had made the playoffs in 1979 and were hoping to build on that momentum in 1980. It had to start with a win in Green Bay on opening day. As has been the case many times with these two teams, it became a defensive struggle. Neither side could find the end zone and were forced to trade field goals. The game was 6-6 at the end of regulation.

Chicago won the coin toss to start overtime. They could win it with a field goal. The problem is they couldn’t get out of their own way. The Bears’ offense committed three penalties on the drive, forcing them to punt. Green Bay immediately got into field goal range on a 32-yard completion to James Lofton. This set up kicker Chester Marcol for a 35-yard attempt to win it.

The kick was blocked.

Yet inexplicably, the ball bounced right back into the arms of Marcol, who took off running down the sideline for a game-winning touchdown. That 12-6 loss set the tone for Chicago’s season as they finished 7-9.

#6. The Instant Replay Game – 1989 Regular season, November 5th, Week 9

By the end of the 1980s, the Bears had owned most of the decade, both in the rivalry and the wider NFL. They’d made the playoffs five years in a row, reached three NFC Championships, and won the Super Bowl. Everybody expected that trend to continue in ’89. They were 5-3 going into Lambeau Field for this matchup. The thing was so were the Packers. This was a big game with tons of divisional implications. Unsurprisingly, it was close and low scoring. Green Bay grabbed a 7-0 lead, but Chicago posted 13 unanswered points to take control.

That score held deep into the 4th quarter. All the Bears needed was one more stop. With 41 seconds left, the Packers faced 4th and goal from the 14-yard line. Quarterback Don Majkowski escaped to his right and bought enough time to find Sterling Sharpe for the game-winning touchdown. However, a flag was thrown on the play with a referee calling Majkowski for an illegal pass beyond the line of scrimmage. It looked like Chicago one. Then, a long four-minute review reversed the decision, upholding the score. The Bears were livid, feeling the game had been stolen from them. Green Bay rode that victory to its first winning record in seven years.

#5. The Walter Payton Game – 1999 Regular season, November 7th, Week 9

By the end of the 1990s, the balance of power had shifted dramatically in the rivalry. Brett Favre had ascended to the NFL mountaintop, well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. In the midst of that, he’d begun beating up on the Bears regularly. By the time of this game at Lambeau Field, he had beaten them ten times in a row. Favre was truly the boogeyman by that point. Nobody gave Chicago a snowball’s chance in this game either. Not on the road with a rookie quarterback (Cade McNown) starting.

However, the tone of the game took on new meaning six days prior. Franchise legend Walter Payton had died from liver disease at the age of 46, much to the shock and dismay of the organization and fans. Feeling a new sense of purpose, the Bears threw everything they had at Green Bay. It was an ugly game. Both offenses played poorly. Still, Chicago moved in front with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Green Bay, trailing 14-13, moved into range for a chip shot 28-yard field goal with seven seconds left. Then, defensive end Bryan Robinson blocked the kick, stunning the crowd and setting the Packers on a path to miss the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

#4. The B.J. Raji Game – 2010 Playoffs, January 23rd, NFC Championship

Throughout almost a century of history between the two teams, somehow, the Bears and Packers had only met once in the playoffs. That was way back in 1941. So you can imagine the media hype ahead of the NFC championship. The second-ever postseason meeting between these eternal rivals. They’d traded victories at home during the regular season. Chicago had reasons to feel confident with the game being at Soldier Field. The stakes had never been higher in any meeting between the two teams.

What followed was an emotional back-and-forth battle. Aaron Rodgers staked Green Bay out to a 14-0 lead before a Brian Urlacher interception seemed to turn the tide. Jay Cutler, who was trying to play through a knee injury, was benched in favor of Caleb Hanie, who cut the deficit to 14-7. The Bears got the ball back with a chance to tie the game midway through the 4th quarter. What followed was one of the most backbreaking moments in franchise history as Hanie threw a pass directly to Packers nose tackle B.J. Raji, who returned it for a touchdown.

That play pretty much sealed the game as Green Bay held on 21-14, going on to win their fourth Super Bowl.

#3. The Comeback – 2025 Playoffs, January 10th, Wild Card Weekend

There is no way another playoff game between these two teams could somehow top the drama of that one 15 years ago, right? Well, they found a way. The Chicago Bears again hosted the Packers at Soldier Field, this time in the wild card round. Again, the two teams had traded victories at home during the regular season. Again, Green Bay stormed out to a big early lead. This time it was 21-3 by the end of the first half. Bears fans’ worst fears were coming true again.

Except this time, things were different.

This time, Chicago had a quarterback. Caleb Williams had already shown he was unimpressed by the Green Bay mystique, beating the Packers in two of the previous three meetings going into this game. What followed was a second half for the ages. Williams threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Bears to 28 points, including 25 in the 4th quarter. The Bears went ahead 31-27 with 1:47 left in the game, marking one of the largest comebacks in postseason history. Green Bay couldn’t muster a final response, handing Chicago their long-awaited revenge.

#2. The Randall Cobb Game – 2013 Regular season, December 29th, Week 17

If there was a moment that could be called the one that sent the Bears into a tailspin for the better part of a decade during the 2010s and early 2020s, it took place in this game. Chicago hosted Green Bay in the season finale. The team had split the series, meaning the winner of this game would claim the NFC North division title. It became one of the great shootouts in the rivalry’s history. Rodgers and Cutler traded shots in a contest that would feature five lead changes by the end of regulation.

After going down 13-7 at the half, the Bears surged in the 3rd quarter to go up 21-20. Five seconds into the 4th, Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for a touchdown to make it 28-20. Rodgers answered to make it 28-27. The Bears almost got into field goal range on the next series, but fell short. Green Bay had six minutes left to make something happen. They converted on 4th down twice on the ensuing drive, but with 46 seconds remaining, they were too far outside field goal range. It was 4th and 8. One more stop would give the Bears the victory.

Everybody sees what happened next in their nightmares. A blitz narrowly misses sacking Rodgers, who scrambles to his left and hits a streaking Randall Cobb for a 48-yard touchdown. The Packers won the division while the Bears spiraled into irrelevance for most of the next 12 years

#1. The Iceman Game – 2025 Regular season, December 20th, Week 16

There are certain times in history when the complexion of the rivalry takes on a noticeable shift. You’ve seen it with a couple of the other games on this list. By this point, the Packers had owned the Chicago Bears. They were 28-4 from 2009 through December 15th, going into this game. It wasn’t even a rivalry at that point. Green Bay had already held serve at home a couple of weeks prior. That meant a victory at Soldier Field, something they were quite used to, would all but guarantee them the division. Everything unfolded as planned.

Their defense played great for most of the game while the offense put them up 16-6 with five minutes left. A Bears field goal made it 16-9 with 1:59 left. They would need an onside kick to have any hope of a comeback. Those prayers were answered. Josh Blackwell recovered the ball. Williams would hit five consecutive passes to reach Green Bay’s 6-yard line. Then on 4th down, he found undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker for the touchdown, forcing overtime.

The Packers still had a chance to save it. They won the toss in overtime and drove to Chicago’s 36 before a T.J. Edwards sack, and a botched Malik Willis snap ruined it. The Bears took over. Three plays later, Williams would fire arguably the most iconic pass in Chicago football history, hitting D.J. Moore 46 yards down the field for the winning touchdown, then debuting his now unforgettable “Iceman” celebration.

Chicago went on to win the division and beat Green Bay in the playoffs, finally erasing years of pain and suffering in the rivalry.

The Chicago Bears looked like they had everything set last season. In a succession of just three draft picks, it felt like they’d landed starters at tight end, wide receiver, and left tackle. Colston Loveland turned into a stud almost immediately. Luther Burden didn’t take long to follow his lead. The last to get his opportunity was Ozzy Trapilo. After a frustrating false start in training camp that saw him benched in the left tackle competition, the 2nd round pick from Boston College got his opportunity midway through 2025.

Things went well. Trapilo played with growing confidence each passing week, showing he could be that blindside protector the Bears needed. Sadly, just as things were taking off, the rookie tore the patella tendon in his knee during the wild card game against Green Bay. Not only was he done for the season, but further exams indicated there was a possibility he could miss all of 2026, forcing the Bears to seek alternatives at left tackle.

Thankfully, it appears progress has been made. Trapilo was spotted back at Halas Hall working out. While it doesn’t mean he’s ahead of schedule, this suggests his recovery is going well.

Ozzy Trapilo getting back during 2026 would be a major victory.

The injury was such a blow because the Bears had spent months rotating through left tackles looking for somebody they could trust. Then, when Trapilo finally seems to have done so, he gets hurt. It was a brutal setback for both the player and the team. Optimism was hard to come by. Patella injuries are nasty. They can end careers far more often than ACL issues. The team couldn’t be sure how the surgery would go and if the rehab process would progress without complications.

It appears good fortune has smiled upon the young tackle. Former Bears scouting director Greg Gabriel stated recently that if things are on schedule, Ozzy Trapilo should only miss up to eight weeks of the regular season. A big tell from the video is no brace on his knee. That means there is no lingering pain or structural issues. If that holds true, the prognosis is correct. Trapilo could be back by midseason. There is no question that this is probably his big objective.

Trapilo isn’t ignorant of the short window he’s in.

The Bears chose not to heavily pursue left tackle options this offseason because they still have high hopes for him. However, this is the NFL. It stands for Not For Long if you don’t present yourself as reliable, both in on-field play and durability. The longer Trapilo is out, the greater the odds that somebody steps up and secures that left tackle spot. Braxton Jones will get another crack at it this summer. Former 1st round pick Jedrick Wills also hopes to get his career back on track after his own injury problems in Cleveland.

If whoever wins the job in training camp ends up playing really well, Trapilo could be in danger of losing his spot before he even returns. That is probably why he is working so hard to get back sooner. He’s not ignorant of reality. The Bears never promised him the job. They’re willing to leave the window open, but this isn’t a case of a team keeping the seat warm for a former top 10 pick. Trapilo was a 2nd rounder. That comes with far less job security in this league.

Every logical conclusion suggested the Chicago Bears should make edge rusher a priority in the 2026 offseason. The team had the second-fewest pressures last season with 214. Opposing quarterbacks were often far too comfortable in the pocket, leading to some big games from even non-elite guys. That can’t happen if the Bears want to compete for a championship. They had to find somebody who could pair with Montez Sweat. Austin Booker missed half the season last year with a knee injury. He still has lots to prove. Dominique Robinson is gone. Shemar Turner tore his ACL. So why didn’t the Bears do anything? It largely centers on defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

You see, he had a plan. When the Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo as a free agent, Allen crafted a strategy that would have the big defensive end play edge on running downs and then shift inside in passing situations. Odeyingbo had lots of success in Indianapolis as an interior rusher. Unfortunately, Booker’s injury ruined that plan, and then Odeyingbo tore his Achilles. According to a person close to the team, Allen is still eager to try this strategy. He believes in Odeyingbo’s potential, which is why the Bears focused on other positions in free agency and the draft.

Dennis Allen put himself in a tough spot.

Don’t forget what head coach Ben Johnson said earlier this year. Fixing the team’s pass rush couldn’t rely on a big roster move. They had to “coach it” better. That was a direct message to Allen that he’d better get things figured out, or there could be consequences. We already know Johnson isn’t afraid to make changes if he feels they’re necessary. The coaching staff avoided accountability after last season. That will not be the case next year if the defense doesn’t take a step forward.

By not pushing harder for pass rush help, Allen has doubled down on Odeyingbo, who again is coming off a torn Achilles, being able to fulfill the original vision for this defensive front. That is a dangerous gamble. The Bears have let every feasible opportunity to add help go by. The top free agents are long gone. No draft picks. No viable trade options. The cupboard is well and truly bare. If Odeyingbo flops and the pass rush again can’t apply consistent pressure, it won’t just be the players who suffer the consequences.

A lot of jobs are on the line this year.

Remember, the structure of several contracts on the payroll means the Bears could gut their entire defensive line next offseason. Odeyingbo can be released for $15 million in cap space. Grady Jarrett would fetch $13.5 million. Montez Sweat would bring in $21 million. All three, but especially the first two, understand that poor performance in 2026 will likely cost them their jobs. Dennis Allen was the one who primarily pushed for them. He then pushed to run it back again this year. Much of the responsibility for any failure will fall at his feet.

The grace period is over. Chicago knows they have the offense to compete with the NFL’s best. They proved it several times last season. It was the defense that largely held them back. Allen got the benefit of the doubt because it was his first year, and he inherited a roster that wasn’t his. That is no longer the case. Half of the team’s projected starters on defense for next season were acquired under his watch. If he can’t produce results, the team may decide to find somebody who can.