Bears Playmaker Group Takes Big Slide in NFL Insider’s 2025 Rankings

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The Bears group of offensive playmakers doesn't look too hot heading into 2025 according to this NFL insider

The Chicago Bears have undergone some big changes this offseason. After the team fell flat on their face last year in their attempt to take a step forward, the coaching staff and roster have been revamped. With these changes, the Bears are once again hoping that they will be a much-improved team next season after their shortcomings in 2024.

The biggest reason for confidence is the offensive side of the ball, which features second-year quarterback Caleb Williams leading the way. While it seems like he has a solid crop of playmakers around him on offense, one NFL insider isn’t exactly high on this unit, leading to a stark drop in his pre-training camp rankings of all 32 team’s offensive playmaker groups.

Why Bill Barnwell Isn’t a Fan of Bears’ Offensive Playmakers

Chicago entered the 2024 campaign with a crop of players around Williams that they hoped would help his transition to the NFL. At running back, the Bears had D’Andre Swift leading the way, with Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert also chipping in. The wide receiver room was led by a star trio of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and fellow rookie Rome Odunze, and red-zone threat Cole Kmet manned the tight end position.

Unfortunately, this group ended up struggling from the get-go. Moore and Allen failed to meet expectations, and Odunze could not consistently find a way to get the ball thrown to him. Swift struggled with his efficiency after a breakout campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Herbert ended up getting traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2025, Allen is gone, with a couple more high draft picks (tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III) being added into the mix. Despite the low turnover rate at these three spots, Bill Barnwell of ESPN isn’t too high on this group, as he dropped them from No. 6 to No. 25 in his offensive playmaker group rankings ahead of the new season.

“The arrival of new coach Ben Johnson suggests the offense will be put in much better positions to succeed, and indeed, it will hardly be a shock if the Bears go from one of the league’s worst schemes to one of its best,” Barnwell wrote for ESPN. “There are reasons to be optimistic about Chicago’s playmakers, but that was also the case a year ago.”

Will Bears Offense Struggle Again in 2025?

GettyBears wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Barnwell’s points about the Bears’ playmaker group in 2025 are valid, but he’s ignoring the fact that their biggest weakness, which was their offensive line, has been significantly upgraded this offseason. They also have a new head coach, Ben Johnson, replacing Matt Eberflus, whose offensive system did not fit the crop of players he had at his disposal. With that in mind, it feels like this ranking is probably a bit low.

Just as the team failed to meet expectations last year, they very well may end up exceeding these extremely low expectations in 2025. For the second straight season, Chicago seems like a team that could take a major step forward. And if they do, chances are it will because they got some strong seasons from this group of players.