CHICAGO BEARS
NFC North•11-6 SU · 10-7 ATS•Soldier Field
2026 Just J Football Companion profile
2026 SEASON SO FAR
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Schedule
2026 schedule
- Wk 1at Carolina PanthersSpread —Total —Sun 9/13 · 1:00 PM
- Wk 2vs Minnesota VikingsSpread —Total —Sun 9/20 · 1:00 PM
- Wk 3vs Philadelphia EaglesSpread —Total —Mon 9/28 · 8:15 PM
- Wk 4vs New York JetsSpread —Total —Sun 10/4 · 1:00 PM
- Wk 5at Green Bay PackersSpread —Total —Sun 10/11 · 4:25 PM
- Wk 6at Atlanta FalconsSpread -1.5Total 51.5Sun 10/18 · 1:00 PMJustJ pickSpread CHI -1.5 ★★★★★1 out of 5Totals No playJust J Line +2 · Edge Rating 0.5 — No Edge / Pass · DK Total 51.5 · Just J Total 51.5Fire Plays
Matchup context
Season to date · ▲▼ vs league avg
Team RZ TD% RZ TD% allow Expl% Expl% allow Sack% allow Sack% gen Plays/G CHI — — — — — — — ATL — — — — — — — Lg avg — — — — — — — Context only — doesn't change the Just J Total.
- Wk 7vs New England PatriotsSpread —Total —Thu 10/22 · 8:15 PM
- Wk 8at Seattle SeahawksSpread —Total —Mon 11/2 · 8:15 PM
- Wk 9vs Tampa Bay BuccaneersSpread —Total —Sun 11/8 · 8:20 PM
- Wk 10Bye week
- Wk 11vs New Orleans SaintsSpread —Total —Sun 11/22 · 1:00 PM
- Wk 12at Detroit LionsSpread —Total —Thu 11/26
- Wk 13vs Jacksonville JaguarsSpread —Total —Sun 12/6 · 1:00 PM
- Wk 14at Miami DolphinsSpread —Total —Sun 12/13 · 1:00 PM
- Wk 15at Buffalo BillsSpread —Total —Sat 12/19 · 8:20 PM
- Wk 16vs Green Bay PackersSpread —Total —Fri 12/25
- Wk 17vs Detroit LionsSpread —Total —Sun 1/3 · 4:25 PM
- Wk 18at Minnesota VikingsSpread —Total —
JustJ picks are only posted for the current week's slate — see the full sheet on the Picks page.
Schedule & market notes
- Bye: Week 10 — a mid-season bye, giving a roughly even split on either side.
- Short-week / non-Sunday games: 2 Thursday, 2 Monday, 1 Friday, 1 Saturday — short-rest games carry their own well-documented ATS variance, worth flagging on your calendar as they approach.
53-MAN ROSTER
Handicapping
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
10-7
58.8% cover rate — 7th of 32
2025 Straight up
11-6
Point differential +26
Scoring environment
50.4
Combined points per game — 6th highest of 32
Home venue
Grass
Soldier Field
Points scored / allowed
25.9 per game scored (9th) · 24.4 allowed (23rd)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +1.5 (16th) · Strength of schedule -1.1
- Totals: Ben Johnson's first season delivered a real step forward on offense; Chicago covered in 10 of 17 games — a live trend to track under the new staff.
- Trend: Tremaine Edmunds enters 2026 amid trade speculation after an injury-shortened 2025 — his availability and role are a genuine variable for the linebacker corps.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+0.5
17th of 32 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+2.6
10th of 32
Defensive SRS
-2.1
23rd of 32
Points (margin of victory)
+1.5 · 16th of 32
Against the spread
10-7 (58.8%) · 7th of 32
Totals (combined PPG)
50.4 · 6th of 32
Turnover differential +22 · 2025 results, Just J Football Companion / Pro-Football-Reference.
Power ratings & 2025 results
- 2025 record: 11-6-0 — Points For 441, Points Against 415 (differential +26).
- Margin of Victory: +1.5 pts/game — the average scoring margin across all 2025 games, win or lose.
- Strength of Schedule (SoS): -1.1 — Pro-Football-Reference's SRS-based measure of 2025 opponent quality; positive means a tougher slate than average.
- SRS (power rating): +0.5 — Simple Rating System score, which converts directly to a projected point spread on a neutral field against a leagueaverage team.
- Offensive SRS: +2.6 · Defensive SRS: -2.1 — the SRS power rating split into offensive and defensive components; higher offensive and higher defensive figures are both better.
- Turnover differential: +22 — total takeaways minus giveaways across the 2025 season, one of the more volatile year-to-year metrics and worth weighing against the rest of this profile rather than on its own.
League-wide unit ranks
Offensive Line
5
Defensive Line / Front Seven
26
Montez Sweat lone standout; interior duo Grady Jarrett/Gervon Dexter Sr. both under 45 run-D grade
Linebackers
5
Devin Bush revival (one of two LBs with 80+ run defense AND coverage grades) plus T.J. Edwards
Defensive Backs / Secondary
—
17 interceptions (3rd-most in NFL) plus 7 forced fumbles in 2025; Jaylon Johnson/Tyrique Stevenson return, but safety is fully overhauled (Coby Bryant, rookie Dillon Thieneman)
Special Teams
—
Kicker: Cairo Santos
Overall Offense
10
Offensive SRS: +2.6
Overall Defense
23
Defensive SRS: -2.1
Handicapping notes
- Grass: Soldier Field — 2025: 11-6 straight-up, 10-7 against the spread.
- : Ben Johnson's first season delivered a real step forward on offense; Chicago covered in 10 of 17 games — a live trend to track under the new staff.
- : Tremaine Edmunds enters 2026 amid trade speculation after an injury-shortened 2025 — his availability and role are a genuine variable for the linebacker corps.
Pro Bowlers
- Offense: C Drew Dalman, LG Joe Thuney
- Defense: S Kevin Byard III
Coaches
Coaching staff
Head Coach
Ben Johnson
2nd season
Offensive Coordinator
Press Taylor
1st season as OC
Offensive Line Coach
Dan Roushar
Defensive Coordinator
Dennis Allen
2nd season
Defensive Line Coach
Bill Johnson
Offense
Offensive unit ranks
Offensive Line Rank
6/32
Sharp Football Analysis, 2026 preseason
Key skill players
- QB1Caleb Williams
- RB1D'Andre Swift
- WR1Rome Odunze
- WR2Luther Burden III
- TE1Colston Loveland
- TEAM DEFENSE (D/ST)Bears D/ST
Key Offensive Line
LG Joe ThuneyNC State
2 yr / $35M extension; ~$17.5M AAV. 11th NFL season; a 4x Super Bowl champion and 2x All-Pro acquired via trade from Kansas City in 2025.
RT Darnell WrightTennessee
4 yr / $116M extension (Aug. 2026), $93M guaranteed; ~$29M AAV, the most guaranteed money ever for an offensive lineman at signing. 4th NFL season; 2025 AP Second-team All-Pro.
LT Braxton JonesSouthern Utah
re-signed on a 1-year deal. 5th NFL season; a 2022 5th-round pick who's held down the blind side for most of his career, tabbed as a 2026 bounce-back candidate.
Defense
Defensive unit ranks
Defensive Line Rank (front seven)
30/32
Sharp Football Analysis, 2026 preseason
Defensive efficiency
- 6.0 yards allowed per play, 29th of 32.
- 21.1% pressure rate generated (blitzed on 25.8% of dropbacks), 22th of 32.
- 38.9% opponent drive scoring rate — a middle-of-the-pack mark.
- 18.3% opponent drive turnover rate — one of the higher forced-turnover rates in the league.
- 91 missed tackles on the season.
Key Defensive Line
Edge/DL Montez SweatMississippi State
4 yr / $98M extension (2023); ~$24.5M AAV. 8th NFL season; Chicago's primary edge presence since a 2023 in-season trade.
DT Grady JarrettClemson
3 yr / $43.5M free-agent signing (2025), $28.5M guaranteed. 11th NFL season; a 2x Pro Bowler with 36.5 career sacks who spent his first 10 seasons in Atlanta before joining Chicago.
DT Gervon Dexter Sr.Florida
still on his rookie contract (2023 2nd-round pick). 4th NFL season; the interior complement next to Jarrett on a retooled front.
Key Linebackers
MLB T.J. EdwardsWisconsin
veteran starter and defensive signal-caller; 8th NFL season, a key piece of Chicago's second level since 2023.
LB Tremaine EdmundsVirginia Tech
returning starter; 9th NFL season. Was on a career-best statistical pace before a late-2025 injury, and enters 2026 amid offseason trade speculation.
LB Jack SanbornWisconsin
re-signed on a 1-year deal. 5th NFL season; a core special-teamer and depth piece who has started games in each of the last three years.
Key Defensive Backs
CB Jaylon JohnsonUtah
long-term extension; Chicago's CB1. 7th NFL season; a 2x Pro Bowler capable of All-Pro-level play when healthy.
CB/Nickel Kyler GordonWashington
still on his second contract negotiation window (2022 2nd-round pick). 5th NFL season; Chicago's primary slot defender.
S Kevin Byard IIIMiddle Tennessee State
veteran free-agent addition; 11th NFL season. 2025 Pro Bowler and the leader of a retooled Bears secondary. NF C N OR T H CHICAGO BEARS
NOTES
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