It is still early, but the Chicago Bears have little reason to fear the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC playoff picture this coming season.
Chicago beat the Eagles 24-15, picking off Jalen Hurts and making life impossible for a struggling Philadelphia defense. The one edge the Eagles appeared to have over the Bears was their defensive intensity, which was under the guidance of veteran coordinator Vic Fangio. Now, this one lone advantage appears at risk with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reporting that Fangio's return for the 2026 season is uncertain.
While the Bears are enjoying the success that was the 2025 season, the Eagles continue to create drama and future uncertainty. Losing Fangio would be great for Chicago, eliminating another concern regarding the future NFC playoff picture. The Bears have proven they can beat Fangio even with the DC presenting a clear challenge and making life difficult for Caleb Williams. Philadelphia losing this key piece only furthers Chicago's advantage and takes away one contender.
If the Bears can count out the Eagles, this leaves the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks as the only worthy rivals heading into next season. Fangio has had an incredible coaching career and deserves respect. Despite Chicago beating the Eagles in 2025, the potential loss cannot be underscored. This is especially true with Philadelphia scheduled to take on the Bears in the 2026 season, a matchup that could now be without Fangio.
Bears Can't Help but Hope Vic Fangio Retirement Rumors Prove True
In truth, the Eagles have more proven veteran talent than the Bears despite losing to them on Black Friday in 2025. What the franchise isn't, though, is the best team. Chicago plays as a unit, while Philadelphia is defined by drama and players who prefer personal accolades over doing whatever it takes to help the franchise win. Fangio's unit had been an exception to this, with the defense consistently getting stellar results under his leadership.
This includes an elite 2024 Super Bowl run when Philadelphia's defense led the unit to take down the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs, while making Patrick Mahomes look human. Last season's team didn't live up to this standard. Fangio has proven himself capable of leading a truly elite unit that can tear apart even the league's most talented quarterbacks.
Losing this skillset helps the Bears keep a firm grip as one of the NFC's top contenders and ends any speculation that the Eagles could still be in Chicago's weight class. Leading Bears fans to hope that Fangio does decide to call it a career and walk away from an Eagles team that continues to find unexpected drama and fall further out of contender status.