Sports

There's a realistic world where Ben Johnson's Bears shatter history in 2026

Bear Goggles On · Jul 21, 2026 10:00 · 3 min read

There's a realistic world where Ben Johnson's Bears shatter history in 2026 — Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bears shattering franchise history in 2026 is actually much more realistic than some might think, thanks to what Ben Johnson is doing.

The hype surrounding these Chicago Bears is at a level we have not seen in quite some time. It's almost gotten to the point where you hope it slows back down a bit because the expectations are absolutely soaring.

But, as fans of the team, there's also a part of us that's like, "keep it coming."

More please!

On the latest episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays offered up a take on wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze that would even cause most Bears fans to step back and wonder if he went too far. But, on the other hand, if this happens...

"I think there's a world where both of them do, but it's like, both of them have like 1,200 yards and Colston Loveland has 1,000 and we're cooking with gas ... every single member of the Bears offense is going to break out this year."

Hold up. He realistically sees a world where the Bears have three players go over 1,000 receiving yards.

That would be franchise history, folks. Only twice have the Bears had two 1,000-yard receivers (1995 and 2013). But, to have three?

Wow.

Rome Odunze holds the key to this Bears offense, but everyone is overlooking him

The key to the Bears' offense really taking off isn't the second-year breakouts of Burden and Loveland. At this stage, the writing is on the wall. Most would be downright shocked if the two of them don't take off in Year 2.

But, the one guy people continue to overlook and question is the guy this team took no. 9 overall just two years ago.

On the surface, Odunze might have disappointed early on. He has had two seasons of anywhere from 600-700 receiving yards to begin his career. That's not horrible by any means. It's actually quite serviceable.

But, for someone you took within the top 10 of his draft class, that's a disappointment.

Now, looking at the first few games of 2025, you see a different story when you break it down.

Odunze caught five touchdowns over the first four games of his 2025 campaign, making him the first Bears skill player to score a touchdown in four straight games to begin a season since Walter Payton.

He also only caught 22 of 40 targets during that stretch, which Bears fans might remember as a little frustrating when watching quarterback Caleb Williams. All the talk was about how Williams just couldn't get in sync with Odunze, even though he was hyper-targeting his No. 1 receiver.

Much of that could be due to the complexity of the offense and Williams being in Year 1 under Johnson.

This coming season, Odunze is now fully healthy according to recent reports, and Williams has had a full season within Johnson's offense under his belt.

For those worried about Odunze's foot, his "new normal," as referenced in the link above, only refers to a callus being in a spot he's not used to. His "new normal" was never about living in pain or discomfort. It's just getting used to a callus -- that's it.

Let's say Odunze begins this season similar to how he began last year -- on fire. Except this time, Williams is far more comfortable in the offense and has worked on his rapport with the two of them.

You add in how both Loveland and Burden finished the season and, well, Mays isn't far off here. It's a wild thought, but the Bears could realistically have three players hovering around 1,000 receiving yards by season's end.

Odunze was pacing for 1,115 yards over those first five games. Burden was pacing for 1,213 yards over his final five games of the regular season, while Loveland was pacing for 1,043 in that same stretch.

It sounds absolutely insane, but Mays' prediction might very well be in the realm of possibilities.