Chicago Bears stumble down power rankings before training camp

The Chicago Bears are entering training camp with lofty expectations on their shoulders. Still, until they prove that their revival is legit, the Bears are viewed to be in the NFC North’s cellar.

Chicago is coming off of a 5-12 season and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2020. Even worse, they haven’t won a postseason game since 2020. The hiring of head coach Ben Johnson and the Bears’ offseason has brought plenty of buzz over the Windy City. But wins will be the only thing that determines the franchise’s true success.

Training camp will give Johnson and company their best opportunity to evaluate the roster at large. They’ve just received some extra bulletin board material to use, as the Bears were ranked No. 21 on Josh Kendall of The Athletic’s pre-training camp power rankings. In Kendall’s previous ranking, Chicago was at No. 19.

“Chicago hired head coach Ben Johnson, added three starting offensive linemen and drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round this offseason, all to help revive quarterback Caleb Williams,” Kendall wrote. “They have a big job. Williams took 68 sacks last season, the second most of any quarterback since at least 2000. His EPA per dropback ranked 733rd out of all qualifying quarterbacks since 2000.”

How Chicago Bears can climb up rankings 

The Bears have built their entire roster around quarterback Caleb Williams. If he lives up to his No. 1 pick potential, then Chicago will thrive. But if he continues to struggle, especially under an offensive mastermind like Johnson, then the Bears will be answering the same questions come 2026.

Williams will have an entirely new blocking scheme in front of him though in 2025. The Bears acquired guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in trades before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Furthermore, their first two draft picks of Colston Loveland and Luther Burden only make a core of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet much scarier.

The Bears won’t forget about their defense. Chicago ranked 27th overall, allowing 354.3 yards per game in 2024. They signed veteran Grady Jarrett to help out their run game and up and comer Dayo Odeyingbo to bolster their pass rush. Chicago’s secondary is one of their biggest strengths and now Dennis Allen will be calling the shots as defensive coordinator.

But while the pieces are in place for success, Williams and company must follow through. They don’t hang banners for offseason champions. The Bears must prove that this time, success is actually on the horizon.

NFC North review 

With a ranking at No. 21, it’s not surprising that the Bears are last in the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers lead the way at No. 5 while the Detroit Lions come in at No. 7 and the Minnesota Vikings round out the trio at No. 10. Perhaps part of the reason Chicago’s ranking is so low is because they have to run the NFC North gauntlet themselves.

The Athletics Pre-training camp NFL Power Rankings:

5. Packers
7. Lions
10. Vikings
21. Bears

Is 5 too high for the Packers? Is 21 too Low for the Bears? Gimme your thoughts Chicago! #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears

— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) July 22, 2025

The Packers have pushed all their chips in on the Jordan Love hype train. If he continues to develop under Matt LaFleur, Green Bay will have a scary offense for the foreseeable future. The Packers finally added a first-round receiver to help their quarterback in Matthew Golden. Furthermore, this is a Packers team coming off of a 2024 campaign in which they ranked sixth in total defense, allowing 315.6 YPG.

JJ McCarthy will be making his Vikings debut against the Bears in Week 1 on Monday Night Football. Like Williams is to Chicago, McCarthy is to Minnesota. How well he adjusts after missing his entire rookie season will determine the outcome of their entire season. Still, the Vikings bulked up on the defense side as well, adding players such as Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

The Lions lost both of their coordinators and saw their center retire. However, Dan Campbell has Detroit playing on another level during his tenure. The franchise ranked second in total offense in 2024, averaging 409.5 YPG. Of course, Johnson was the one calling the shots, but all their playmakers remain largely the same. The Lions will still be a dangerous franchise despite their coaching losses.

For now, the Bears are focused solely on training camp and getting ready for the season. But when Week 1 rolls around, Chicago must be prepared for the NFC North challenge.