The Chicago Bears are one of the most vulnerable division winners in the NFL. Kevin Patra of NFL Network recently ranked the eight division winners from last year based on how likely they were to give up the title. The Bears were ranked third most likely.
Will the Chicago Bears lose the NFC North one year after winning it?
The biggest thing going against the Bears is their division. While every team has a couple of teams in the mix, the Bears arguably have all four teams worthy of making a run. In 2024, the Bears were the only team from the NFC North to miss the playoffs. In 2025, the Bears joined the Packers, while the Lions finished just outside in eighth.
Now, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to be back in the mix with Kyler Murray and their defense under Brian Flores. So, the Bears can get caught by any team. Still, the NFC West and AFC West have some of the toughest competition in the NFL. It is not just the competition putting the Bears in this ranking.
They are not trusted yet.
The top two teams on this list are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers. They are viewed as the most fraudulent division winners and teams that were unworthy last year. The Bears are not far off, which is why they are next.
They were a fun story last year, but people need to see them do it again before they can be considered a playoff threat every year. Right now, it looks like they came out hot, they won some close games, and they might fall back to reality this season.
It is easy to compare their run last year to the run that Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky had before falling back. However, the Bears are poised to show that they are different under Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. Johnson has been sure to let the team know that last year is the past and they are moving on and not lingering on that season. The question is whether the message will get across to the team and if they can win the NFC North back-to-back times.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were surprisingly listed as the team most likely to repeat as division champions. However, that might have to do with the division they are in. It would be interesting to see where the Bears would rank on this list if they were a member of the AFC South.
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