For the first time since the 2019 season, the Chicago Bears are dealing with the pressure of being returning NFC North champions. It is a completely different situation to be the hunted, and the Bears are going to find this out. The good news for Chicago is that they have the perfect head coach in Ben Johnson to guide the franchise through this. It also doesn't hurt Chicago's case that, very quietly, the Green Bay Packers have had an incredibly rough 2026 offseason that was highlighted by questions around the status of Josh Jacobs, who is dealing with an alarming legal situation.
This opens the door that the franchise could be without its running back depending on how things play out. This is on top of already losing key playmakers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks to free agency and a draft-day trade. To put it simply, the Bears have been actively working to improve shortcomings, while Green Bay's only notable addition was the signing of defensive lineman Javon Hargrave.
Chicago has further pulled away from Green Bay in the division race as the offseason as the Bears have actively worked to improve, and Hargrave is the Packers only notable addition. Not only did the franchise lose Wicks and Doubs, but other key pieces departed in free agency and via trade, leaving a number of concerning voids.
Bears Have Continued Beating Packers in 2026 Offseason Amid Dismal Green Bay Showing
Rashan Gary, Malik Willis, Quay Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Rasheed Walker, and Kingsley Enagbare are all notable losses that the franchise is attempting to replace. The Bears have actively worked to improve any positions where losses were suffered, while it seems that Green Bay is content to simply sit back and hope that their development provides answers.
It is important to note that this isn't to completely discount Green Bay's talent or the history of a franchise that has bullied the Bears in recent seasons. Rather, it is pointing out the reality that a rival that was just given a crushing playoff defeat by Chicago has continued suffering offseason losses and appears to have a clear number of question marks the team isn't working to answer.
With this in mind, it is safe to say that the Bears have continued to win against Green Bay in the 2026 offseason and push themselves ahead of the hated rival. Looking objectively at the division, it is Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions that appear to be the biggest threat, with the Packers simply not doing enough in the offseason to garner any level of fear in a race the Bears are clearly winning.
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