Chicago Bears fans are excited not only for the 2026 season, but also for a second-year head coach and a controllable young core that gives the franchise an unquestionably long expected window of contention. They aren't alone in noticing this, with BetMGM recently tweeting and asking which team will be the most accomplished out of their top-five ranked young cores. The Bears are ranked second behind the Houston Texans, with clear concern for this ranking when you consider the regression of quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and New York Giants fill out the top-five and lead to an obvious level of debate for Chicago fans. It is hard to discount the fact that both New England and Seattle are coming off a Super Bowl appearance. However, there is no question that Chicago has youth on its side in comparison. Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, and Sam Roush are all exciting pieces that are yet to reach their full potential.
Add in the youth defensively and the genius of Ben Johnson it is easy to argue the Bears are going to end the next decade as the most accomplished team on this list. Seattle's pieces are older, while the Giants haven't been able to make the playoffs with their injury-prone core.
This leaves Houston and New England; the Texans should be ranked behind Chicago based on the fact that they were unable to score for much of the 2025 season. It was an ugly offense that pointed to regression from Stroud and obvious questions about how patient Houston was going to be with their quarterback.
This leaves New England, the Patriots dealt with an offseason scandal starring their head coach and watched young quarterback Drake Maye play his worst football in the playoffs when it mattered most. It simply cannot be said that the same version of the Patriots we watched a season ago is going to show up for the 2026 season.
Whether it is momentum, coaching, age, or another level to be achieved, the Bears are checking all the boxes compared to their competition. Chicago has the unquestionable ceiling of forming a dynasty that the historic franchise is long overdue for. As hot as this take might seem, it is simply the reality of a young core and a great coaching staff that is yet to find its ceiling.
Even those outside Chicago should reach this same conclusion when looking at the current five rosters and debating which franchise is going to have the most meaningful run. As long as health falls their way, it will be the Bears far and away winning this conversation over the next decade.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
This article was originally published on www.dawindycity.com as Bears' young core has a ceiling the Texans cannot match .
