The Chicago Bears haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1986.
On Thursday Night Football, Caleb Williams and company reminded us that the Bears could be closer to contention than most football fans in the Windy City realize.
Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots.
The third-year QB went 18-for-20 for 209 yards and two scores when he was kept clean in the pocket.
Over his last two starts, Williams has gone 44-for-46 for 464 yards when unpressured.
He’s now 77-of-88 when not pressured this season – an 88 per cent completion rate that is the highest by any QB through four starts since ESPN started tracking in 2009.
In a matchup that featured two of the top three picks from the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams was nearly flawless in a game that was ultimately decided in the fourth quarter.
Williams is healthy and has an outstanding supporting cast that features Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and D’Andre Swift.
Kyle Monangai gives Chicago’s rushing attack a spark they didn’t have against the Patriots last night, but they found a way to win without him, and he should be back soon.
The Bears improved to 5-0 against teams outside the NFC North, and they’ve gone 14-2 against non-division opponents since the start of last season.
Despite starting three different quarterbacks this season, Chicago is 5-2 overall and is -290 to make the playoffs.
Is it a stretch to think that the Bears could contend for a Super Bowl this season?
Let’s go Back to the Futures with a look at the numbers in this Morning Coffee for Friday October 23rd, 2026.
Are Bears Built To Surprise In The NFC?
The Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Detroit Lions entered the season as the favourites to win the NFC divisions at FanDuel.
The FanDuel futures look a lot different heading into NFL Sunday Week 7.
The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the NFL’s biggest surprise teams so far this season.
Minnesota opened with the longest odds to win the NFC North at +500 at FanDuel.
After a 5-0 start, the Vikings are now the obvious favourite to win the division at +145.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers were the third choice to win the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks when the season started.
The 49ers are also now an obvious favourite to win their division following a 5-0 start of their own.
While the Vikings and 49ers have been pleasant surprises, we can circle teams like the Rams, Seahawks, Eagles, and Buccaneers as the biggest disappointments.
The Rams, Eagles, and Buccaneers were all preseason favourites to win their division at FanDuel.
With LA and Philly both at 2-4 and Tampa Bay at 1-5, there’s a chance all three teams could miss the playoffs.
Where does that leave the rest of the NFC?
If the playoffs started today, San Francisco would clinch the No. 1 overall seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage for the postseason.
The Vikings would be the No. 2 seed and host the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round.
The Carolina Panthers would be NFC South champions, the No. 3 seed, and host the Green Bay Packers.
The New York Giants would be the unlikely NFC East champion and host the Bears in a home playoff game.
In that scenario, all four NFC North teams would make the playoffs, and we’d be guaranteed at least one in the Divisional Round.
The Packers and Bears would both have favourable matchups as Wild Card teams on the road.
A Chicago win would set up a date with either Minnesota or Carolina with a trip to the NFC Championship game on the line.
Not a bad situation at all for Ben Johnson’s Bears.
With the teams everybody expected to be at the top on the outside looking in, Chicago could be a sleeper team.
The Bears were viewed as a young team with upside but not a legitimate Super Bowl contender this season.
However, Williams has taken another step forward in his third NFL season, with some of the credit belonging to coaching and an elite cast of skill-position players.
If Swift and Monangai are healthy, Chicago could have one of the most complete offences of any NFC contender.
Yes, the defence remains a work in progress, but Kyer Gordon’s return has provided a spark and Johnson has done a masterful job controlling possession on offence to protect his defence.
A reliable dual-threat QB, strong rushing attack, plenty of big-play weapons, and an improving defence is a strong formula for success.
As impressive as the 49ers and Vikings have looked so far, both teams have their flaws, as well as their own unique obstacles they will face along the way this season.
In San Francisco, Mike Evans was just added to a long list of injuries that is quickly piling up, and it doesn’t help that the Niners rely so heavily on their veterans.
Minnesota has an unproven quarterback and the NFL’s most difficult remaining strength of schedule.
Meanwhile, playing in the loaded NFC North means the Bears are always going to face an uphill climb, and they still have games outside of their division against the Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The most important factor for Chicago is staying healthy and finding ways to win games while improving on the defensive side of the football.
The Bears are built to win in December and January.
If they can find a way to close the gap on Minnesota and San Francisco atop the NFC standings, they could bolster their chances with a home playoff game or even a bye.
The same process that overrated teams like the Rams before the season could underrate a Chicago side that is trending in the right direction under Johnson.
After a big win over the Patriots in primetime, it’s fair to wonder whether the Bears are closer to contending for a Super Bowl in the wide-open NFC than most realize.
Have a great weekend, everyone!