After their first playoff appearance in five seasons, the Chicago Bears have renewed expectations going into 2026. Caleb Williams flashed a lot of talent last season and gave Bear fans a reason to be excited about the quarterback position for the first time…maybe ever in franchise history. The offense looked great and while the defense had its issues, they found ways to win. Sometimes in wilder fashion than others.
With the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL ahead of them, Chicago has a tough road to get back to the playoffs in consecutive seasons. If they do, that would mark the first time since 2005 and 2006 that they achieved that mark. 2006 was a special year for the Bears, of course, and something they’d no doubt like to replicate.
With that said, there’s a lot of talented players the Bears will face this season. Let’s start and key in on a feared defensive lineman out of Philadelphia.
Eagles DT Jalen Carter
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Coming into the league out of the University of Georgia, big things were expected out of Jalen Carter. There was a time where some thought the Bears were going to take the vaunted lineman. But because of concerns about his character, the Bears balked at him, which allowed for the Philadelphia Eagles to select him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Since then, Carter has been outstanding. In three seasons, he’s amassed 37 QB hits, 21 hurries, 22 quarterback knockdowns, and 13.5 sacks. He recorded the most of his career in his rookie year with six. Admittedly, last season was a down year as he had the fewest sacks, hits, and knockdowns of his career across the board. But with how talented he is, it’s hard to think he won’t turn that around. It’s worth noting he finished with 12 QB hits despite those three sacks a year ago.
Carter is expected to do a lot as well. After being on the field for 51 percent of defensive snaps in 2023, that total shot up to 84 percent in each of the last two seasons. So he went from a rotation player to getting a significant number of snaps very quickly.
Last season, Carter sacked Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the Eagles’ regular-season game against Chicago on Black Friday. But the Bears of course won that game so Carter’s sack and play didn’t turn the tide that day.
But when Week 3 rolls around, and the Bears play the Eagles on Monday Night Football, you should watch for No. 93 in green and white.
