Coming off a big 2025 season that culminated in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, the Chicago Bears are looking for a repeat performance. To repeat their success, several players need to get healthy or continue building in the upcoming season if they want to stay with the organization beyond next season. Here are three Bears players under the most pressure heading into 2026.
One of the oldest slogans in professional sports is that the best ability is availability. No one on the Bears encapsulates that slogan more than cornerback Kyler Gordon. When the former second-round pick is on the field for Chicago, the defense is significantly better. The biggest problem is that the 26-year-old has not made it through any of his four years without missing games due to injury.
After missing nine games over his first four seasons, Gordon missed 14 games in 2025. This was especially frustrating as 2025 was his first year under a 3-year $40 million contract extension. When he is healthy and playing, he is an elite slot defender who excels in blitz packages. The Bears defense ranks in the top five in defense success rate when he is on the field, compared to 28th when he is missing.
The 2026 offseason has not helped Gordon, as he has been dealing with soft tissue injuries, limiting his offseason participation. The Bears have not been sitting idly by and hoping he will be fully available this upcoming season. The team drafted cornerback Malik Muhammad to compete at the position and has been getting starting reps at nickel corner. The pressure is on Gordon to see if he can stay healthy and fend off the rookie challenger.
When the Bears took Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft, they expected to get their future number-one receiver. While the former Washington Husky has been productive over his two seasons in the league, his production has not warranted a top-ten pick. With the departure of DJ Moore and the number-one receiver job up for grabs, the 2026 season could be a make-or-break season for Odunze.
The 2025 season was especially frustrating for Odunze as he struggled with injuries and drops. In 12 games played during the regular season, Odunze had 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns. This was a step down from his rookie season when he recorded 54 receptions and 734 yards. After recording five drops during his rookie season, Odunze was credited with four drops in 2025 per PFF in five fewer games.
Going into 2026 as the presumed top receiver, the pressure is on Odunze to see if he can take a significant statistical leap worthy of that spot. This is especially important for him after the emergence of rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, who had 652 yards in 15 games and was the third option. A strong statistical 2026 season will make the Bears’ decision on the fifth-year option for Odunze in May 2027 an easy one.
One of the most important pieces heading into the 2026 season is defensive end Austin Booker. With the Bears failing to make any significant changes to their defensive line heading into 2026, Booker will be counted on to continue his strong performance from last season. With Dayo Odeyingbo still recovering, Booker will continue to start opposite Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat and will look to hold onto the job past 2026.
The 24-year-old tallied 4.5 sacks, 35 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble in 10 games during the 2025 season. This was a big improvement over the 1.5 sacks, 21 tackles, and four quarterback hits Booker had as a rookie in 2024. The pressure is on Booker to make another jump in his third season or risk joining the list of failed Bears defensive end development projects.
A further improvement in 2026 would benefit not only the Bears, but Booker as well. As a fifth-round draft pick, he does not have a fifth-year option and will be a free agent after the 2027 season. The Bears would be inclined to offer a contract extension after the 2026 season should Booker put up big numbers. If his numbers stay the same or he regresses, his contract contains no guaranteed money after 2026 and could set him up as a cap casualty with a minimal $174,570 dead cap penalty.
An obvious choice for this list, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo had only one sack in eight games before ending up on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. This comes on the heels of signing a three-year, $48 million contract with the Bears. If the defensive end struggles or gets injured again next season, the team has an early out after the season with a potential cap hit of $4.5 million.
For the Bears to make another playoff run, they will need several players to stay consistently healthy or continue building on past seasons. The Bears’ defense has performed significantly better with a healthy Gordon in the backfield and with Booker lining up opposite Sweat. The offense would take off even more with a more productive Odunze. Big things could be coming for Chicago if they all rise above the pressure and take a healthy step forward.
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