2 Rookies & QB 1: Our 5 most important Chicago Bears to start the 2026 NFL season
Great Expectations – Why the Bears can match the preseason hype | Bears Blitz
Bears Blitz is back! Cassie Carlson, Sam Panayotovich and Anthony Herron preview the Bears season opener against the Panthers. With great expectations heading into the season, will Caleb Williams & the Bears offense match the preseason hype? Also, is Jaylon Johnson ready to return to Pro Bowl form and how can the defense limit Bryce Young and the Panthers pass attack? Plus, Cassie gives her ‘One Thing to Watch’ this week.
We're so close. The 2026 Chicago Bears season will begin soon.
As the season gets ready to start, the Bears face the pressure of living up to the hype they created with a stellar 2025 season.
Here are our picks for the five of the most important Chicago Bears as the 2026 season inches closer to kickoff.
No. 5 – Dillon Thieneman
The Bears’ first-round pick was going to be one of the most important players this season.
Then, Coby Bryant suffered a knee injury.
Now, Thieneman needs to learn how to play at the NFL level and acclimate to the speed of the game fast. The Bears drafted him because he can play in different spots and defend different areas of the field. That wont come to fruition if Thieneman can’t acclimate to the NFL level quickly.
With Bryant out until perhaps late in the regular season, Thieneman has a chance to be a lifeline for a defense that suffered injuries in training camp.
No. 4 – Austin Booker
Bears coach Ben Johnson has been open about how highly he thinks of Montez Sweat. Johnson said Sweat played the best football of his career in 2025.
Across from him is a player that needs to bring it full circle.
Booker was a project when the Bears traded up to draft him in 2024. He had the size but was raw technique-wise. Now, he’s in Year 2 of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme and he’s finally healthy.
If Booker takes the step the Bears want him to make, he could turn in a double-digit sack season and energize a Bears’ pass rush that plenty thought needed added juice in the offseason. It could help Sweat unlock another level to his game, too.
No. 3 – The starting left tackle
This is left a little ambiguous, because the Bears keep it ambiguous.
Braxton Jones will start in Week 1. After that, it’s a weekly evaluation on who the guy will be. Whenever that guy emerges, it’ll be one of the most important players for the Bears on any given weekend.
The Bears’ offensive line is set, from Joe Thuney, to Garrett Bradbury, to Jonah Jackson, to Darnell Wright and this leaves the left tackle position looming large.
Ozzy Trapilo’s torn patellar tendon threw a wrench in these plans. But, he could still emerge as the starter for the Bears’ long-term future. Or, Jones could seize the job and never look back. Or, Theo Benedet might pull an upset and win the job.
Whoever it is will be a player the Bears need to play at a high level.
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No. 2 – Jordan van den Berg
A rookie being this high is one thing. A sixth-round selection being this high is another.
The Bears thought so highly of van den Berg they were comfortable trading Gervon Dexter Sr. to Atlanta for a backup cornerback and a fifth-round draft pick. This means more expectations for the rookie from Georgia Tech.
In the preseason, van den Berg shined with a relentless motor and impressive strength. This might not have shown up on the stat sheet with sacks, but he created sacks and negative plays for others.
Now, van den Berg needs to do that in the regular season. If he can, it might answer the question of what the future of the Bears’ defensive line looks like.
No. 1 – Caleb Williams
The Bears’ spent the offseason watching Williams become a fan favorite. Now, he needs to become the star the Bears believe he can be.
Williams is one of the most popular players in the league. He earned his notoriety by making some of the biggest and best plays in the NFL last season with his arm talent, which is now recognized as special amongst the masses instead of being dismissed after a difficult rookie season.
After setting the Bears’ single-season passing record in 2025, he has a chance to be a star in 2026. With a defense that’s hurting, he might need to find another level to his game to lift the Bears to another level.
Fortunately, Williams believes he can be that star.
There’s no reason to doubt him.
The Source: Analysis and story were written by Fox Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski, who spent all summer at Bears training camp.