The hype surrounding the Chicago Bears and the offseason moves made by GM Ryan Poles is beginning to reach the cycle of way-too-early NFL Power Rankings, which will kick into overdrive once the NFL Draft concludes.
And by hype, I mean serious hype.
FanDuel shared their way-too-early NFC Power Rankings, and the Bears were ranked shockingly high.
Chicago checked in at No. 5.
Only the Eagles, Commanders, Lions and Rams rank ahead of the Bears.
It’s still sort of a bummer that even with such a high conference ranking, Chicago is considered the second-best team in the NFC.
There’s a chance — even if just a small one — that that narrative will change in 2025. Detroit suffered a major coaching staff exodus, highlighted by the Bears’ poaching of offensive mastermind Ben Johnson as their head coach.
Johnson’s hire, combined with trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and the free-agency signings of center Drew Dalman and defensive linemen Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, have elevated the preseason expectations around this team and quarterback Caleb Williams.
After being sacked an NFL-high 68 times in 2024, Williams now has a rebuilt and respected offensive line in front of him. That, combined with Johnson’s playcalling and another year of development (Rome Odunze included), could result in the Bears having their first-ever 4,000-yard passer in 2025.
Perhaps being ranked as the fifth-best team in the NFC is a bit aggressive; even Bears fans would admit that. But it’s proof that Chicago is trending in a very different direction, primarily because of the stability that exists from the general manager to the head coach, and, finally, at quarterback.
Leave a Reply