The Chicago Bears offense found immediate success in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach, and quarterback Caleb Williams and his large cast of skill position players were a big reason why.
While the Bears lost some notable veterans this offseason, including wide receiver DJ Moore, they have some exciting young players on the roster. At receiver, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and rookie Zavion Thomas bring plenty of speed and playmaking ability. Chicago also has one of the best tight end rooms in the NFL with Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and rookie Sam Roush. Meanwhile, the Bears have a dynamic 1-2 punch at running back with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who led the league’s third-best rushing attack last season.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ranked every offensive skill position group in the NFL, and the Bears landed at No. 15. Last season, Barnwell ranked them 25th, and that wound up being just fine as Chicago’s explosive offense was a top-five group.
The kids are all right. We saw some eye-popping stretches of play from Chicago’s rookie class. Tight end Colston Loveland was quiet for the first two months of the season, but from Nov. 1 onward, he was second among all tight ends in receiving yards (597) and yards per route run (2.4). The 10th pick then added a 137-yard performance in the win over the Packers in the wild-card round. There’s a reasonable chance Loveland leads all tight ends in receiving yardage this season.
Luther Burden III just needed more playing time. Over that same time frame, Burden averaged 2.9 yards per route run, which ranked fourth among wide receivers. Rome Odunze’s injury opened up a larger role for Burden down the stretch, and he delivered with a 138-yard game against the 49ers in December. His catch rate (78.3%) won’t stick, but he’s going to be a real threat after the catch. Throw in Kyle Monangai’s efficient year as the team’s between-the-tackles back, and few offenses got more from their rookie playmakers in 2025.
Of course, offensive architect Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and a much improved offensive line likely deserve some of the credit for the offensive success too. And it wasn’t all roses. Odunze’s injury kept him from making the second-year leap many expected. DJ Moore took a step backward and was traded to the Bills. Replacing Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus with Kalif Raymond and third-round pick Zavion Thomas is a likely step backward. And while D’Andre Swift had his best year as a pro, I lean more toward Johnson and the line driving that success than any sort of massive shift from the veteran RB.
The Bears haven’t had successful offenses in recent memory, but that has changed with Johnson’s arrival. Now, with one of the league’s brightest offensive minds leading the charge, this team has the opportunity to establish itself as one of the most dominant in the league for years to come.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Where do Bears’ skill position players rank among rest of NFL?
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
