Bears determined to keep NFC North crown after breakthrough season
The Chicago Bears won their first NFC North title in seven years and a playoff game against the Packers. General manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson are focused on sustaining that success. Poles' goal of 'taking the North and never giving it back' remains the driving force.
The Bears' 2025 campaign featured 11 regular-season victories, with six of those wins requiring fourth-quarter comebacks in the final two minutes. That resilience carried into the postseason, where Chicago defeated Green Bay before ultimately falling in the playoffs. The division title marked just the sixth for the franchise in the 21st century, ending a seven-year drought.
Poles brings championship perspective from his time with the Chiefs, having been part of Kansas City's Super Bowl LIV-winning front office in 2019. Johnson, hired in January 2025, has emphasized daily accountability and reinvention, pushing players to avoid complacency. The coach's "Good, better, best" mantra became a rallying point after his memorable shirtless locker-room celebration in Philadelphia.
The Bears' sustained success could reshape the NFC North's competitive balance, potentially influencing fan engagement, merchandise sales, and local economic activity in Chicago. A perennial division winner may also affect how other teams in the division approach roster building and coaching decisions. For the broader NFL audience, the Bears' rise could add a compelling new storyline to the league's narrative, drawing casual viewers and strengthening the franchise's national profile.