The Bears were picked as one of the seven most improved teams this offseason.
Winning the offseason doesn’t guarantee you division championships or Super Bowls. But after the doldrums the Chicago Bears have been through the last few seasons, it’s nice to know pundits think 2025 might be different.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook named the Bears one of his seven most improved teams of the 2025 offseason. They joined the Cardinals, Commanders, Jets, Patriots, Raiders, and Vikings on the list.
“Chicago added in key places this offseason, picking up top-tier linemen (Joe Thuney and Drew Dalman) and a solid veteran (Jonah Jackson) to protect Caleb Williams,” Shook writes. “The Bears drafted another target for Williams in Luther Burden III, a first-round-caliber talent who dropped to Round 2 (No. 39 overall). It’s fair to wonder how much gas Grady Jarrett has left in the tank heading into his 11th pro season, but his presence alone figures to improve the defense’s ability to stop the run.
“First-round pick Colston Loveland should pair excellently with Cole Kmet, creating a tight end duo that will receive plenty of exposure under new coach Ben Johnson, who is expected to lean heavily on 12 personnel.”
While not yet a fully stacked roster, the Bears made big additions in the areas that really counted—head coach and offensive line—while getting with the rest of the league on the “get more playmakers” train that should hopefully push their offense from a consistently bottom-10 unit to a top-half unit in the league. Even if the defense takes a step back, which seems less likely with veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in the fold, the offense should, in theory, be at least competent this year, thereby elevating the team a few notches.
This time, it makes sense to have real expectations for Chicago’s turnaround to be more than theoretical.
“The Bears’ rebuild was always going to require multiple seasons; the 2025 campaign might be the first in which we see notable progress,” Shook adds.
General Manager Ryan Poles has largely completed the job he was given when he first took over the team in 2022: rip the team down to the studs and shape a roster worthy of winning football games. Time to see the offseason vibes pay off.