NFL Predicts How Far The Chicago Bears Go This Season

The Chicago Bears believe they're ready to start winning in earnest now. They've spent three years tearing down and rebuilding their roster. While some depth concerns remain, they have at least one really good player at almost every position. They have a #1 overall pick at quarterback. After going 7-10 last season, everybody in the building thinks this team is ready to win. It won't be easy. The Bears sit in one of the NFL's toughest divisions. Several NFC teams improved as well. A lot of challenges lay ahead.

GM Ryan Poles doesn't seem concerned. He believes strongly in the culture he and head coach Matt Eberflus have built. They have a locker room filled with talented, hard-working players obsessed with winning. Caleb Williams is supposedly one of the best QB prospects to come out of college in years. If this roster stays healthy, it can compete with any in the league. Judy Battista of NFL.com agrees. She believes the Bears are not only destined for a winning record but also a trip to the playoffs.

Here's her reasoning.

The Chicago Bears make the playoffs. It's happened just three times since they lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts after the 2006 season, but Caleb Williams is bringing his bear claw to Soldier Field and changing the fortunes of one of the league's most historic and historically quarterback-lacking franchises. Williams is a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year because among the rookie quarterbacks, he is joining what is easily the best team.

The Bears won seven games last season -- don't forget, that first overall draft pick was theirs because of a trade -- the defense took off after they traded for Montez Sweat, the receiving corps has Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and rookie Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift has a new contract coming off a Pro Bowl season and new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was brought in with preparation for Williams' arrival in mind.

Only eight rookie quarterbacks have posted double-digit wins since 1950 -- C.J. Stroud did it in 2023 -- but the Bears' schedule features the AFC South plus games against the Patriots and Commanders, both of whom will probably be starting rookie quarterbacks who have much less help around them. The Lions are the class of the NFC North, but with the three wild-card spots available, the Bears will be on their way to sustained contention.

The Chicago Bears will be defined by the second half of their schedule.

Most experts agree they should get off to a strong start in 2024. Five of their first nine games will be against opponents who were mediocre to bad last season. That includes Washington, New England, and Carolina, the three teams with the three worst records in the NFL. If the Bears play up to their expected level, they should head into November with at least five wins. From there, it gets tough. Six divisional games and two against San Francisco and Seattle. That will be the stretch that defines this team.

One thing we've known about the Chicago Bears under this regime is that they play hard for 60 minutes every week. They simply haven't had the talent to match most of the teams they've faced. That has finally changed. Now, they can match up against several opponents. Everything hinges on Williams. Most experts agree that if he plays reasonably well this season, the Bears will be a playoff team. The passing game is what held them back last year. All their work this spring should have fixed that.