How vulnerable are the Bears to losing their NFC North crown?
· Yahoo Sports
The Chicago Bears were one of the most exciting teams during the 2025 season, where they went from worst to first in the NFC North and mounted an NFL-record seven fourth-quarter comebacks with some insane endings that made quarterback Caleb Williams a household name.
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After going 11-6, including beating the Green Bay Packers twice in three meetings, general manager Ryan Poles finally made good on his promise for the Bears to take the NFC North. Now, he's looking to pull off the second part and "never give it back." But it won't be easy to repeat as division champions in a loaded NFC North.
NFL.com's Kevin Patra believes the Bears are one of the teams most at risk of not retaining their division title in 2026, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers. A big part of that has to do with the division that Chicago plays in with the Detroit Lions and Packers as their biggest threats in the NFC North.
Chicago used a host of comeback victories to flip from worst to first in the NFC North last season. Staying on top will prove a tougher challenge in a tightly packed division. Caleb Williams continues to ascend, and Ben Johnson’s offense figures to take another step forward with the development of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland. There is a question at left tackle, and Chicago has yet to fill the holes on the defensive line. The Bears toed the line last year, winning seven one-score games. With a more difficult route, a regression to the mean in those close tilts could cost them a chance to repeat. The Lions are improved on paper from a year ago after filling the holes on the offensive line, but they still have questions on defense. When Micah Parsons returns from injury, the Packers will be a force to be reckoned with. And if the Vikings can figure out their QB room -- possibly getting a Sam Darnold-like boost from Kyler Murray -- they can’t be counted out. You could legitimately make an argument that any of the four teams can win the division without sounding completely nutty.
There's no doubt that Chicago faces a tough task to repeat as NFC North champions, especially after going 2-4 in the regular season. The Bears got swept by the Lions while splitting the regular season with the Packers and Vikings. If Chicago wants to retain the division, they're going to need to win those games. But it could very well come down to the final stretch of the season as the Bears close out the 2026 season with games against the Packers, Lions and Vikings.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears dubbed at risk to lose NFC North in 2026