Since the Chicago Bears named Ben Johnson as their head coach, the excitement for the 2025 NFL season has been rising.

Can Johnson finally turn the Bears around and make them competitive in the NFC North in pursuit of a playoff appearance, something that hasn’t happened since 2019? That will be answered over the next four months.

Before the Bears kick off Week 1 against the Vikings on Monday Night Football, Marquee Sports Network’s Scott Bair and Nicholas Moreano provided their bold predictions and record projections for the 2025 NFL season.

Offensive Bold Predictions

Bair: Rome and DJ both hit 1k

The Bears didn’t have a 1,000-yard receiver last season despite tons of talent in the position group. That won’t be the case this season.

I would expect Bears yards and points to go up significantly under Johnson, even if it takes some time for the offense to find sync. That means some individuals will produce big numbers, even with so many skill players worthy of touches.

Rome Odzune exceeding 1,000 yards seems like a given if he stays healthy, and DJ Moore should be there with him, considering the creative ways the veteran receiver will be used this season.

Johnson accomplished that feat in Detroit last year, with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams both going over 1,000.

That may be difficult if Colston Loveland becomes a dominant force and Williams’ affinity for Olamide Zaccheaus continues, but Odunze and Moore will be the primary targets and most explosive playmakers that will lead to big yardage totals for both and suggest Johnson’s offense is going right.

Moreano: D’Andre Swift runs for 1k

Everyone knows how important the run game was to Johnson while he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery lived up to the Sonic and Knuckles nicknames and helped establish a physical presence for the Lions’ offense.

The Bears don’t have that tandem in Chicago. However, D’Andre Swift, who many Bears fans still have reservations about, has a great opportunity to become a productive weapon for the Bears. When Swift has open space in front of him, he’s dynamic and can make defenders miss. Johnson’s offense should provide the veteran running back with better opportunities to gain positive yards.

Bears running back coach Eric Bieniemy has been a huge addition for the backfield, and the way he demands physicality and attention to detail has already been reflected in the few carries Swift has had between the tackles. If Swift can trust the new interior offensive linemen on inside runs, he is poised for a bounce-back season.

Defensive Bold Predictions

Bair: Bears are a top 10 team in sacks

The Bears had 40 sacks in 2024, a middle-of-the-road number that must go up in Dennis Allen’s first season as defensive coordinator. They upgraded their defensive front with Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. Gervon Dexter Sr. put on tons of lean mass and Montez Sweat just completed an excellent camp.

The Bears were only five sacks away from being a top 10 team in that category last season, but it’s fair to expect 50-plus from this group. It’ll be spread out some considering Allen’s blitz propensity, but Sweat will be leading the way.

He’s coming off a down year, with just 5.5 sacks a year ago despite a solid 14.7 quarterback pressure percentage. He had 12.5 sacks the previous year, which was split between Washington and Chicago. He’ll beat that number in 2025, with a career-high 13 in a monster year. Jarrett and Odeyingbo should have solid sack totals as well, with the Bears ramping up their quarterback pressure overall in 2025.

Moreano: Jaquan Brisker makes the Pro Bowl

It’s hard to argue that any other defensive players had a better training camp than Jaquan Brisker. The Bears’ safety consistently made plays throughout training camp and in the joint practices; his physicality was evident.

With Dennis Allen as Brisker’s defensive coordinator, offenses are going to be guessing where the 6-foot-2, 204-pound safety will line up on the field on any given down. He’s most effective in the box, where he can provide support in the run game, but his coverage abilities have flashed this summer at Halas Hall.

The big question with Brisker, as it always has been, is whether he can stay healthy. It’s the one issue holding back Brisker from becoming one of the best safeties in the NFL. If he were healthy throughout his first three seasons in the league, he might have earned himself a contract extension by now.

Brisker is a tone setter, a leader and a versatile weapon for Allen to deploy against opposing defense. If he puts a 15-game season together, like he did in his first two years in the league, he will be perfectly positioned to make his first Pro Bowl.

Overall record

Bair: 8-9

The Bears are a lot better than they were a year ago. They’re more talented and better coached. They also have a brutal schedule, an early bye, as tough a road slate as you can imagine, all while playing in the NFL’s toughest division. Getting to nine wins would be a coup and portend better times to come, even if the season doesn’t end with a playoff berth. I could easily see them going 9-8, especially if they’re good in one-score games. That would be a sign of real progress and that the Bears made the right call at head coach.

Moreano: 9-8

Similar to what my colleague wrote, the Bears have an improved roster with what should be a better coaching staff. In the Bears’ 12 losses last season, seven of them came within one score. If Caleb Williams grasps Johnson’s offense, those near fourth-quarter comebacks should turn into victories. Although the pass rush remains a question mark about this team, Allen is a proven commodity as a defensive coordinator. The coaching is what pushed me to give the Bears a winning record for the first time since 2018.