The Chicago Bears emerged from seemingly out of nowhere to become one of the most exciting teams in the league last year. Now, they face the unenviable task of finding a way to build off what they accomplished in 2025, and while there’s a lot of talent on this roster, that’s obviously going to be easier said than done.
The 2026 campaign can’t necessarily be labeled a Super Bowl-or-bust season for Chicago, but it’s clear that this team has championship aspirations. Reaching the top of the mountain is going to be challenging, especially in the top-heavy NFC, and if you ask franchise legend Lance Briggs, he thinks a lot will have to go the Bears’ way in order for them to achieve this goal.
Lance Briggs Dishes on Bears’ Super Bowl Aspirations
Briggs spent his entire 12-year career playing for Chicago, so he knows the pressure that the 2026 team is dealing with as it prepares for the new season. Throughout his career, Briggs was the guy leading the way on defense, and he ended up establishing himself as one of the top middle linebackers of his generation, earning seven Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro honors.
The offensive side of the ball carried the Bears last season, so understandably, Briggs believes that the defense is going to need to improve moving forward, and he’s right. Chicago was reliant on turning the ball over last year in order to create more possessions for its offense, and while it worked, it isn’t a sustainable method of success.
Losing a handful of key contributors over the offseason certainly hasn’t helped the Bears on this side of the ball, but Briggs still sees a logical path forward for this unit. In an interview with Action Network, Briggs revealed what he believes Chicago needs to do on defense in order to give the team as a whole its best shot at winning Super Bowl LXI.
“You’d like to see the Bears have 13-14 wins where you get home-field advantage, and you have a LA team come to Chicago deep in the playoffs when it’s cold,” Briggs said. “Defensively, we have to come up with consistent ways of number one, getting off the field on third down. Number two, we got to stop the run because if we can’t, that’s going to keep our offense off the field. Number three, get the ball back to our offense as many times as possible, and let them run away with it.”
Bears Face Tall Task in Quest to Follow Up 2025 Campaign
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Chicago proved it has a knack for finding ways to win games last season, but doing so again in 2026 is going to be easier said than done. Simply put, the Bears are on everyone’s radar this time around. Sure, they didn’t win a Super Bowl last year, but nobody was expecting them to be a team that very nearly eliminated the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs last year.
Becoming a more well-rounded team is the key to a successful season for Chicago. The offense has established itself already, so it’s going to be up to the defense to get the job done. Briggs feels he has identified the ways in which this unit can improve in the upcoming campaign, and it’s not a stretch to suggest the defense will determine just how successful this group winds up being.
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