The Chicago Bears, in one offseason changed the narrative for Chicago sports and exceeded the expectations of Eureka College Bears fans.
After six straight seasons without a winning record, the Bears’ front office believed it was time for a change. They entered the coaching market and acquired one of the hottest coaching prospects of the offseason, Ben Johnson. Johnson was formerly the offensive coordinator for the rival Detroit Lions, where in his two seasons as offensive coordinator he led a top five offense in both, highlighted by a 2024 season where the Lions had the best scoring offense in the league.
Given his resume, it seemed only suitable for the Bears front office to hire Johnson. With a promising young quarterback and new offensive minded coach, the skies are the limit for what Johnson and the Bears can do. And in Johnson’s first year as the Bears’ head coach did not disappoint. He led the Bears to their first winning season in six years as well as winning the NFC north for the first time since 2018.
With them winning the NFC north it allowed the Bears to host a playoff game where they got to face a very familiar foe. The Bears wildcard matchup was with their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, a team that has gotten the better of the Bears as of late. Before this season the Bears were 3-27 against the packers in their last 30 games. But not only did the Bears win against the packers in the regular season, a feat that hasn’t happened since 2007, but they also beat them for a third time in the playoffs as well. While their season came to a disappointing end in the divisional round to the Los Angeles Rams. This season could be the turning point for a new era of Chicago football.
While the city of Eureka does not have a professional football team. Its proximity to the city of Chicago makes most people from the Eureka area Bears fans. That’s not to say that there aren’t any fans of other teams in Eureka. There are, of course, fans of varying other teams; such as the Panthers, Jaguars, and even the Chargers. However, for the most part people that are from Eureka and or the surrounding areas are more likely to be Bears fans. With most Eureka residents being Bears fans, this season turnaround is particularly meaningful for them.
Leading into the 2025-2026 NFL season, Eureka College Bears fans had their expectations for how the season would pan out under the new order, but at the same time most fans had their worries with the team. On the topic of expectation for the Bears this season, John Malone, a Professor for Eureka College, and a lifelong Chicago sports fan and Bears fan said, “Very little. I thought it would be a developmental year for the most part”.
The Bears began their season 0-2, with losses to their division rival Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. The week 2 loss to the Lions was especially demoralizing for the Bears, losing 21-52 in Detroit. With these back-to-back losses Bears fans feared that their new head coach hire would end up like the other promising coaches who would ultimately fail in Chicago. “I was like, okay, here we go again”, Kaitlyn Robinson, a Eureka College student, said in reference to the Bear’s 0-2. So, not only were expectations already low going into the season, but they lowered even more after the start they had.
But something changed after the 0-2 start to the Bears season. The Bears began winning. The next 10 games, they posted a 9-1 record. By week 13 the Bears sat at 9-3. In this stretch, the Bears began to form a narrative around their team. They were seen as a team that would never be out of any game despite the score. The Bears led by Caleb Williams put together several 4th quarter comebacks against the Raiders, Vikings, and Packers. While the Bears were winning these games, this style of play would not be a sustainable way to make it to the Super Bowl.
The Bears finished their regular season with an NFC north best 11-6 record and a home playoff game where they hosted their heated rival, the Green Bay Packers. This game will ultimately become not only an NFL classic, but this game will go down in Bears history. Down 21-3 at halftime the Bears would outscore the Packers 28-6 to beat their rivals and advance to the NFC divisional round. “That’s one of the best football games I’ve seen in years… It was an event.” said Malone when asked about the Bears wild card win against the Packers.
Ultimately the Bears’ season ended at home against the Rams where a miracle 14-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Cole Kemet would send the game to overtime. But the Rams would in the end kick a game winning field goal to advance them and to end the Bears special season.
This was a miraculous season for the Bears. For them to go from last in the NFC North to kings of the north in one season is incredible. Eureka Bears fans hope the Bears have a good offseason to add to their success from this season. “I hope they will start off hot next season… And I hope they go farther” said Robinson in regard to expectations for next season. It would seem the expectations for the Bears 2026-2027 season are hopeful. The Bears set the bar high for themselves next season but with Williams under center and Johnson calling the plays the Bears should see similar if not more success than the previous season.
