Chicago Bears Rank Position Groups for 2026 Season

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2026 season with a strong roster, standing 2nd in the National Football Conference with an 11-6 record.

What are the Bears' strongest position groups?

The Bears have one of the best tight end rooms in the NFL, with Colston Loveland ranking fifth among all tight ends in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns from Week 9-17.

The addition of Stanford's Sam Roush in Round 3 will encourage coach Ben Johnson to keep playing with two- and three-tight end sets.

How will the wide receiver position shape up?

The Bears' decision to trade DJ Moore required tremendous faith in players like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, who will need to step up to fill the gap.

Almost 40% of Burden's regular season receiving yards came in the last four games, giving the Bears confidence he could handle an increased target share this year.

What's the status of the offensive line?

The Bears have stars in guard Joe Thuney, the winner of the NFL's first Protector of the Year Award, and Darnell Wright, who will become one of the NFL's best-paid right tackles if he and the Bears can reach a contract extension before Week 1.

Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman's sudden retirement prompted the trade for Garrett Bradbury and drafting of second-rounder Logan Jones.

How will quarterback Caleb Williams perform?

Caleb Williams isn't the top player in the NFL, but he's shown promise, particularly late in games last year.

The Bears need him to be more efficient long before it gets to that point, with his completion percentage above expectation being the worst in football among all quarterbacks not named Brady Cook last year.

The Bears face the Carolina Panthers on September 13, 2026, and will look to break their L2 streak.

And with the team's strong position groups, they're poised to make a run in the 2026 season.

But the safety position will be the greatest test of the Bears' instincts, with general manager Ryan Poles, Johnson, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen letting all-pro Kevin Byard leave.

So the Bears will need to rely on their other strong position groups to carry them through the season.

The Bears used two tight ends 33% of the time last year, which ranked sixth, and three tight ends 9% of the time, which ranked fifth.

This strategy will likely continue with the addition of Sam Roush.

The Bears' next game against the Carolina Panthers will be a crucial test of their skills.