The Chicago Bears are slated for a favorable start to the 2026 season, taking on the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings in two very winnable games to begin the year. It is a needed hot start as the schedule gets far tougher down the road, and the Bears are expected to get every team's best shot after an offseason full of attention and coming off an NFC North title, a division that is clearly the most difficult to win.
With this in mind, let's look ahead to Week 1 and consider a handful of telling signs that Bears fans are going to be keeping a close eye on. Starting with the biggest story for Dennis Allen's defense and that is the new-look defensive line.
1. Can Anyone Besides Montez Sweat Touch the Quarterback?
Austin Booker had a strong summer and fueled the belief that the 2026 season will prove to be a breakout year. However, there is reason for doubt until fans see this promise translate into real production early in the season. As things currently stand, only Sweat can be penciled in as a sure edge rushing presence capable of registering pressures and getting to the quarterback with any modicum of consistency.
Chicago needs to find out early in the season exactly what they have in the current pass-rushing options and whether or not a move needs to be made. Both Josh Sweat and Maxx Crosby remains speculated trade options if the Bears current options don't prove capable early in the season.
2. How do the Bears Manage Receiver Snaps?
Rome Odunze and Luther Burden are cemented into the starting lineup and will consistently be on the field. However, after this duo there is a level of unknown with Kalif Raymond, Zavion Thomas, and Jahdae Walker all having arguments as to why they deserve more time in the starting lineup. Ben Johnson has an exciting trio to manage and figure out who deserves early-season trust.
It will be telling especially in Week 1 how the Bears manage the snaps of Walker and Thomas and whether there is more trust put in Raymond, who has experience working with Johnson. No question, it is quietly an incredibly important storyline.
3. Was Ben Johnson Serious About Having Historic Offense?
Johnson has talked about through the summer wanting the league's best offense and having a unit capable of wiping teams off the field. If this were going to happen we will get a hint of how aggressive the coach is going to be against the Panthers and Vikings. If the Bears are going to be a historic offense it will start against teams that lack the roster to slow them down.
With this in mind, fans should be keeping an eye on how willing Johnson is to call plays when the Bears are already up. Was the idea of blowing teams out serious or simply hype for an incredibly talented roster. This is a question that will have a bit more clarity after the first two weeks of the season.
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