The belief that the Chicago Bears couldn't be the best team in the same conference as the Los Angeles Rams lasted all of one week. Not only did the Rams drop the first game of their 2026 season in blowout fashion, but now prized offseason addition Myles Garrett has been placed on IR and is going to miss extended time a team that looked unbeatable only a week ago is very much human and this was evidenced by not only the loss, but injuries that have left the door open for Chicago to claim the top spot in the NFC.
While there is going to need to be an obvious level of defensive improvement, Week 1 showed why beating the Bears is going to be so difficult in the 2026 season. Chicago's offense is so incredibly deep and set up to beat you in a myriad of ways.
Already, there was reason to wonder if the Bears were the best threat to the Rams when it came to knocking the franchise off the top of the league rankings. The results of the first week furthered this opinion with Garrett on the shelf for an unknown amount of time and the Rams looking very human on offense.
A large part of this was the 2025 MVP looking very human as Matthew Stafford missed multiple open throws and failed on a sneak that would've changed the complexion of the game. No question, the door is very much open when it comes to who is sitting on the throne in the NFC.
Bears clearly in the conversation as NFC's best team after Myles Garrett injury and Rams debacle
Chicago is in this conversation not based simply on the injury to Garrett or Stafford looking human, but the incredible offensive effort in Week 1. It was a level of explosive production that made it impossible to believe the Bears aren't rostering the league's most talented unit.
With that said, the Rams remain an unquestionably talented roster and fans must be careful of overreacting to Week 1. However, there is no denying that even when Garrett is back in the lineup the Bears have an argument as having a clear path to the NFC's top seed.
It will be interesting to watch how things continue to develop and whether or not the Bears are able to take advantage of the clear opening the injury creates. One that the rest of the conference is looking at closely understanding the path is far more open than it appeared heading into the season.
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