How the Bears Weapons Could Shape Their 24-Year-Old Quarterback in 2026

The 2025 season was one of the best seasons in recent history for the Chicago Bears. They won the NFC North, made the playoffs, and beat the Green Bay Packers multiple times. One of the biggest reasons for this was the performance of the offense. Ben Johnson brought his creative play calls, which helped establish their 24-year-old quarterback, Caleb Williams, as the face of the franchise for years to come. Heading into 2026, one of the biggest areas of focus will be to build on this sudden success.

To sustain this progress, the Bears are relying on young players to step up. Receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden return as top targets. Odunze, heading into his third season, has made key catches but struggled with drops. Burden, entering his second year, generated excitement last season with big plays and reliability. Both have the talent to lead, but consistency is now the priority. Each of them has the talent to serve as the top receiver, so it is likely they will share that role instead of the team having one true leader in the receiver room.

Adding on to those two, the Bears have one of the best tight end rooms in the league. Colston Loveland had an impressive rookie season and stepped up as Williams' primary target at the end of the season. His combination of receiving skills and athletic ability is something that not many other players have. Cole Kmet is one of the longest tenured players on the team as he is entering another season with Chicago. He may not be as elite a receiver, but he is still more than capable of making plays. Kmet’s main job is blocking, which is something he excels at. These four players are all strong athletes and give Chicago a strong foundation to build on.

Unfortunately, there remains one major hole. Chicago has yet to replace the production of D.J. Moore. The Bears traded the veteran receiver to the Buffalo Bills before free agency started. It was not a surprising move, as Moore’s name had been in trade rumors heading into the 2025 season. However, it still deals a massive blow to the passing game. He offered a strong presence, and his reliability was much needed. The Bears have added depth but still lack an option capable of replacing him.

The biggest depth option that Chicago added is Kalif Raymond. The former Detroit Lion is familiar with the system as he played under Ben Johnson in Detroit. Due to this familiarity and his talent, it would be a surprise if Raymond does not enter the season as the third receiver. Chicago also signed veteran receiver Scott Miller, also known as ‘Scotty’ by many in the sports world. These two are not game-changers, but offer much-needed depth. They also bring a similar upside, as they are both reliable and bring speed to the offense.

Speaking about speed, the Bears also drafted Zavion Thomas. This move has been heavily criticized, as many fans believe that the third round was too early to select him. However, the rookie is fast, athletic, and can fill the gadget role that became empty after Moore got traded. It has been rumored already that Thomas could see work out of the backfield, which may limit his ability as straight up receiver. Unfortunately, none of these guys are game changers for this season. They have the potential to help expand the offense, but it is hard to see any of the three having a large role to begin the season.

The bright side is that the Bears have youth who can step up. Odunze, Burden, and Loveland all have had flashes in their short careers. They certainly are capable of stepping up from last year's production. Kmet may have already reached his potential, but would still be a quality fourth option. All of these four have different strengths for the team. The combination of athleticism, blocking skills, and receiving abilities from a strong group. If any of the new additions can solidify a spot, then there is plenty of potential for the Bears to have just as good an offense as they had in 2025. However, despite this potential, it could be a slow start to the season as they all try to adapt to their new roles.