‘4 Downs’ with Rich: the Chicago Bears’ Biggest Questions ahead of the ‘26 NFL Season

The Bears had a magic season. The problem with magic is that nobody knows how to schedule it for a second year, and Chicago's is already being tested in the middle of August.

Rich ran the Bears through Four Downs, and the first question was the least glamorous one. How deep is this roster? Safety is already a concern with injuries on the back end. Chicago drafted Dillon Thieneman, who Vikings fans thought they were getting and who Rich says is good, but that unit is thin. Left tackle is still up for grabs. Luther Burden's return date is a hope more than a plan. Khalil Herbert is already banged up and questionable for week one, which puts everyone back on Roschon Johnson watch. Look at wide receiver three, four and five on the depth chart and the honest answer is a shrug.

Second down is the one that keeps coming up in every Bears preview. Other than Montez Sweat, who sacks the quarterback?

Chicago finished with 35 sacks last season, in the lower half of the league, and gave up a ton of yards. What masked all of it was takeaways, and the Bears were the kings of the takeaways. The names are good ones. Grady Jarrett, Devin Bush in the middle, Jaylon Johnson at corner, Tyrique Stevenson when he is locked in. Ryan Poles has done real work, including grabbing Sweat at a trade deadline. But Dennis Allen's defense still needs someone besides Sweat to get home.

Third down gets at the uncomfortable math. Must the Bears keep doing this?

They had seven fourth-quarter comebacks last season, six in the regular season plus an 18-point all-timer in the playoffs against Green Bay. Their plus-minus was plus 22. Thirty-three takeaways, 23 interceptions, 10 fumbles, all of it keeping them in games until Caleb Williams pulled another one out. Rich's question is whether that is a strategy or a coin flip. Can they build a lead in the second and third quarters instead?

That is precisely the Kansas City comparison being made around the league right now, the one about one-score games regressing to the mean. Chicago's fear is the same one.

Fourth down is the fun one. Will year two of Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams be, in Rich's phrasing, gooder, betterer or bester?

Last year was fun. It started 0-2, which was not fun, and then the comebacks started landing and the Bears were suddenly in the mix. They went to Philadelphia the day after Thanksgiving and punked them. Free Wiener Circle dogs were flying, the coach was taking his shirt off to give away more food, and everyone fell in love.

Nobody is sneaking up on anybody now. Ben Johnson has heard it and does not seem bothered, talking about setting a record for points per game and wanting blowouts.

The case for Chicago is that the parts were all real. The coach was it, the quarterback was it, the opportunistic defense was it, the run game was it, and the belief that anything could happen in the fourth quarter was it. Colston Loveland may be the best pass catcher on the roster and is set up for a monster season alongside Cole Kmet.

Whether the Bears can be all of that again with a target on their back is the whole season, and it starts with health they do not currently have.