From Montez to the 'Iceman', these are the most important Chicago Bears in Saturday's NFC Wild Card game

The Chicago Bears' first playoff game in five years is as close as it can be. In fact, the Bears are 1.5-point underdogs to the visiting Green Bay Packers.

That means one player – maybe two – might be able to flips the odds with a stellar game.

Here are the most important Bears to watch in Saturday’s NFC Wild Card Game against the Packers.

Montez Sweat

It goes without saying, the Bears need their top pass rusher.

With a 10-sack season this year, Sweat will need to have saved his best for the playoffs. Without constant pressure on the Packers’ passing game, quarterback Jordan Love will move the ball down the field.

The Packers are wildly successful on third and fourth downs. The main reason they are that successful is because of how efficient they are on first and second downs. That’s how Green Bay built a 14-3 lead at halftime at Lambeau Field on Dec. 7 and how the team also held a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter on Dec. 20.

The first and second downs are crucial. Sweat is the one player who has the skillset to affect early downs, especially in the passing game. He’s affected the game in other ways, but the biggest impact he could make Saturday is as a pass rusher.

The Bears already have one of the NFL’s lowest pass rush win rates. That’s not a sustainable way to win games, let alone slow down opposing offenses.

The Packers are one of the most efficient offensive teams in the NFL on first and second downs, which leads to third-and-short situations. In turn, that allows the Packers to be one of the most successful teams on third down in the league.

If Sweat can affect the Packers’ offense in the early downs, that can help the Bears’ defense get more aggressive on third-and-long situations. 

Kevin Byard

The NFL’s interception king has been one of the most important players for the Bears all season long.

The Bears’ hallmark on defense is taking the ball away. Namely, getting interceptions. Byard has to find a way to come through on Saturday.

Byard nearly had the defensive play of the game against the Lions. He intercepted Jard Goff’s tipped pass that went over the middle and gave the Bears’ offense a chance to win the game. It was a massive reason the momentum continued in the Bears’ favor.

The Bears’ defense has recorded a turnover in every game that it has played in this season, except for one: the loss to Baltimore.

If the Bears want to control the game on Saturday night, they need turnovers. The best place to look for them is the player who’s forced the most on the back end of the defense.

Luther Burden III

When the Bears have trusted Luther Burden III this season, good things happened. 

In his rookie season, Burden has caught 47 passes for 652 yards and two touchdowns. Twenty-seven of those 47 receptions have resulted in first downs. That’s a first-down percentage of 57 percent. In other words, half the time when Burden catches a pass it, results in a first down.

This is notable because the Bears have been able to seize momentum when they just get that initial first down. Once the small things click and the Bears get into a rhythm, they move the ball.

See the 49ers game as an example. The Bears went down 14-7, but knotted the game when Burden caught his 35-yard touchdown pass after moving the ball into San Francisco territory.

Burden can be that catalyst, the player the Bears can turn to when they need that initial first down to ball moving.

Ben Johnson said this week he’s focusing on the fundamentals. Catching, blocking, tackling and securing the ball. Catching falls under Burden’s watch, and he can provide the Bears with plenty of electric plays by catching the ball and creating yards after the catch, which is something Burden has done plenty of this season. 

Burden has averaged 7.1 yards after the catch per reception in 2025, which is the highest average among all Bears’ wide receivers. 

Colston Loveland

The debates since April 2025 on whether or not the Bears should have drafted Tyler Warren at No. 10 overall over Loveland have since been silenced. Both teams got playmakers in the first round, and Loveland is cementing himself as the go-to option of the future for quarterback Caleb Williams.

Loveland led all the Bears in receptions and receiving yards, and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. 

Similar to Burden, Loveland has become a favorite target of Williams in the final weeks of the regular season.

In the last two games, Loveland has recorded 16 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the hot hand, and he needs to continue being the hot hand as the postseason approaches rapidly.

He’ll need to reprise that role Saturday.

Caleb Williams

This almost goes without saying, but the Iceman is arguably the most important player.

If Caleb Williams can move the offense as he did against the 49ers, the Bears will have the advantage.

If Caleb Williams can take care of the football as he did against the Packers on Dec. 20, the Bears will have the advantage.

If Caleb Williams can take what the Packers’ defense is willing to yield, the Bears will have the advantage.

The Bears’ running game should be a focus of the offense, given the weather conditions and how the running game has worked against Green Bay in the two games the Bears played against the Packers this season.

The play-action pass game has thrived once the run game got going, and Williams’ ability to deliver the football no matter what conditions lie in front of him, like the star quarterback the Bears believe him to be, could tip the odds in the Bears’ favor.

He’s already delivered one of the best passing seasons in Bears’ history. Williams can deliver the Bears to greater heights if he plays at a high level on Saturday night.

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