The Chicago Bears enter the 2026 season as defending NFC North champions, but NFL.com isn't quite ready to consider them one of the league's 10 best teams.
NFL.com's Nick Shook ranked the Bears No. 11 in his Week 1 NFL power rankings, dropping Chicago one spot from its preseason position at No. 10. Shook's primary concern isn't Caleb Williams or Ben Johnson's offense. It's a Bears secondary that has been hit hard by injuries.
"I have questions about the Bears' young receiving corps, though I am much more concerned about their pieced-together secondary following some terrible injury luck early in camp," Shook wrote.
It's a fair concern entering Sunday's opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Bears secondary has plenty to prove
Chicago entered training camp expecting its secondary to be one of the strengths of Dennis Allen's defense. Instead, injuries changed the outlook.
Kyler Gordon is on the reserve/PUP list with a calf injury and will miss at least the opening four games. Gordon is currently working away from the team with his own trainer, with the hope that he'll return to Chicago a few weeks into the season and begin practicing shortly thereafter. Safety Coby Bryant, one of Chicago's biggest offseason additions, is on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury during training camp. The Bears officially moved Bryant to IR on Sept. 1.
That leaves a secondary featuring Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson at cornerback, with rookie Malik Muhammad II and the recently acquired Clark Phillips III among the players providing depth. First-round rookie Dillon Thieneman and veteran Xavier Woods are listed as Chicago's starting safeties.
Shook believes the opening portion of the schedule could quickly determine whether his concern is justified. He pointed specifically to Chicago's first two opposing quarterbacks, Bryce Young and Kyler Murray, writing that he could be convinced the secondary isn't a "massive issue" if the Bears can limit both.
Bears remain NFL.com's highest-ranked NFC North team
There is an encouraging takeaway from the rankings. Chicago is NFL.com's highest-ranked team in the NFC North.
The Bears sit at No. 11, followed immediately by the Green Bay Packers at No. 12. The Detroit Lions check in at No. 15, while Minnesota is No. 19.
While it's great that the Bears are beginning the season with the highest expectations in the NFC North, the bigger question is whether Chicago's defense can hold up long enough for some injured players to return while maintaining the top spot in the North.
The offense enters 2026 with enormous expectations. Williams is coming off a franchise-record 3,942 passing yards, while Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland form one of the NFL's youngest collections of primary receiving options.
It's the other side of the ball that could determine whether Chicago climbs back into NFL.com's top 10. And the first test comes Sunday.
If the Bears can go to Carolina and keep Young and the Panthers' offense under control despite their depleted secondary, they'll have an immediate opportunity to answer the biggest question behind their No. 11 ranking.
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