In three days, the Chicago Bears will gear up for their first game of the 2025 season at Soldier Field. The Monday Night Football showdown will be a major test for first-year head coach Ben Johnson and the Bears as they face off against a divisional rival in the Minnesota Vikings.

As Marquee Sports Network’s Elise Menaker and Tom Waddle answered rapid-fire questions on Bear Essentials, there are still some topics that need to be addressed for the Bears.

One of the main questions is which players have the most to prove in 2025. The answer? The most important player on the field: Caleb Williams.

“No doubt it’s Caleb Williams…He was the first pick of the draft last year and obviously, things didn’t go as well as they would have liked…You brought in Ben Johnson at $13 million a year, you added another tight end, another wide receiver, you fortified the offensive line in front of him,” Waddle said on Bear Essentials. “There are no excuses, and Caleb doesn’t make excuses. I don’t think there’s any doubt — nobody in the league, in my opinion, that has more pressure on him than Caleb Williams.”

Last season, the Bears ended up with a 5-12 record and finished last in the NFC North.

When Menaker asked Waddle for his bold prediction, the former Bears wide receiver kept it realistic for the team.

“I’m not suggesting they’re going to the Super Bowl or they’re even going to win their division. They’re going to win more games than they lose. I have this team winning nine games,” Waddle said of his bold prediction.

Despite a new-look offensive line that’s been revamped with Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman and Joe Thuney, there’s still a glaring hole in the group that will be tasked with protecting Williams.

“I would say at left tackle, can Braxton Jones last the entire season? This has been a competition in one that didn’t go as well as I think the coaching staff wanted it to go. I think Braxton won this by default, and he has 40 career starts at left tackle,” Waddle said.

The Bears have options for the left tackle position, which has been held down by fourth-year starter Braxton Jones. Despite veteran lineman Joe Thuney being listed as a potential starter at tackle, he’s predominantly played at guard throughout his ten seasons in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots. That position will definitely be something to keep an eye out for as the season progresses.

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Aside from left tackle being a concern, Waddle also has the Bears’ pass rush as one of the biggest concerns with Dennis Allen’s defense in 2025.

“This has been a problem for years. If you go back to 2022, I think they were dead last in quarterback sacks. In 2023, next to last. Last year, I think they were middle of the pack,” Waddle said of the Bears’ pass rush. “Montez Sweat did not make an impact last year with 5.5 sacks; they gave Dayo Odeyingbo $30+ million to come in. He’s got 16.5 career sacks in four years.

“When you don’t have a pass rush, it affects your secondary, and that secondary is banged up right now. Starts up front, the pass rush or the lack thereof is something that concerns me.”

As the Bears prepare for their Monday night opener against the Vikings, all eyes will be set on Johnson, who looks to start strong against their division rivals.