The Chicago Bears are preparing for another substantial leap in year two of the Ben Johnson era as they prepare for the 2026 NFL season. The team, in particular the offense, put the league on notice in 2025 with a raw explosiveness that helped carry them to several signature wins.
Perhaps their most significant win in the first half of the season was their Week nine 47-42 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. In it, the Bears rallied for a game-winning 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown from quarterback Caleb Williams to tight end Colston Loveland with 17 seconds remaining.
The end to the Bengals and Bears game has been INSANE.
In that single play, fans got to see a glimpse of Williams’ poise in clutch scenarios and Loveland’s elite athleticism, which led to him being selected with the tenth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
As the year progressed, both players continued to develop into their potential. In the final games of the season, it was the Williams and Loveland show, leading the Bears in the postseason.
Both players made their mark and have displayed even greater potential heading into next year. Loveland and Williams were both recently named to CBS Sports’ Top 25 NFL players age 25 and under list.
Bears Colston Loveland Was on a Torrid Pace at the End of the Season
GettyChicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland became the first rookie tight end to ever record 8+ receptions and over 100 receiving yards in a playoff game after his 8-catch, 137-yard Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers.
Loveland came in at number 25, and CBS Sports’ writer Tyler Sullivan was clearly impressed by his rookie campaign.
“It was a slow burn to begin Colston Loveland’s rookie season, but the Bears tight end came on strong down the stretch. His 58 receptions are the most by a Bears rookie tight end in franchise history, and 47 of those catches came over his final 10 regular-season games. If you project those final 10 games over a full season, Loveland was on pace for roughly 80 catches, 1,015 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. He also kept that torrid pace going in the postseason, tallying 12 catches for 193 yards in two games. He’s primed to leap into superstardom during his sophomore season in 2026.”
Caleb Williams To Cement Himself as a Superstar in 2026
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams broke the franchise’s single-season passing record with 3,942 yards thrown in 2025.
While Loveland may be looking towards a superstar label, it can be argued that Williams is already there after his performance last year.
Sullivan had Williams as the seventh-best player on the list, only behind Will Anderson Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake Maye, Penei Sewell, Puka Nacua, and Bijan Robinson.
“Pairing Ben Johnson with Caleb Williams did wonders for the young quarterback”, Sullivan wrote. “The former No. 1 overall pick broke out in 2025 and helped Chicago win its first NFC North title since 2018. Williams also became the first Bears quarterback since Sid Luckman to win a playoff game within his first two NFL seasons. His 3,942 passing yards last season also set a franchise record. Williams finally looked like the generational quarterback he was billed as entering the league in 2024 and delivered several clutch moments throughout the 2025 campaign. Entering Year 2 in Ben Johnson’s system, it’ll be fascinating to see how high Williams can climb among the NFL’s quarterbacks.”
In Williams ‘ follow-up season to his breakout, he will look to fully cement himself in that top echelon of players’ club and leave little doubt about his place in the NFL zeitgeist.
Bears’ Former First Round Pick Primed For Superstardom Entering 2026 Season