The Chicago Bears finished 2025 with a top 10 offense and fans expect 2026 to be even better, but ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has a different idea.
In his annual ranking of all 32 NFL teams by offensive playmakers, Barnwell slotted the Bears 15th, a jump from 25th last year but well short of the elite-tier expectations building around this offense.
“This is a young group with real upside, but I also get the sense that it wouldn’t be quite as appealing or productive with a less compelling playcaller.”
The young playmakers have plenty to prove
GettyBears WR Rome Odunze
The Chicago Bears receiver room took a pretty solid step back this offseason with DJ Moore being traded and Olamide Zaccheaus walking in free agency… What Chicago did to replace them was get Kalif Raymond and third round rookie Zavion Thomas.
The Bears WR1, Rome Odunze, enters the season as a question mark. He was on his way towards 1,000 yards before a foot injury cut his 2025 short, and Odunze himself has acknowledged he may not be fully the same.
Colston Loveland looked like a future star, but he’ll now have to prove he can produce over an entire season instead of just the second half.
Same goes for Luther Burden III, who flashed explosive playmaking ability once his role expanded but now defenses will be preparing for him from the start this time around.
The backfield of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for more than 1,700 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season, helping fuel one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks behind a rebuilt offensive line.
However, Barnwell’s ranking also intentionally excludes offensive line quality. That matters here. A line led by Joe Thuney that helped Chicago allow just 24 sacks in 2025 (down from 68) and rank third in rushing is no small backdrop for these playmakers.
Barnwell also credited Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams with inflating the perception of the Bears’ skill position group. His ranking strips out the quarterback and playcaller. On that basis alone, Chicago’s numbers look a little different.
The honest read
GettyBears RB D’Andre Swift
The main argument is that this Chicago Bears group is young, productive in flashes, and hasn’t done it for a full season without significant support from their scheme and quarterback. That’s not wrong… But it’s also not the whole story.
The Bears’ offense in 2026 will almost certainly be better than 15th in real terms once Caleb Williams and Johnson are factored back in. Barnwell knows that. His own framing, “wouldn’t be quite as appealing or productive with a less compelling playcaller”, is a backhanded compliment to a unit that went from 25th to 6th in one year.
If Loveland continues his late season dominance, Burden builds on his promising rookie campaign and Odunze finally delivers a healthy breakout season, the Bears won’t stay at 15th for long.
But until those young stars prove they can sustain their production over a full season, some national analysts will continue viewing Chicago’s offensive ceiling with a bit of hesitation rather than complete confidence.
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