Injuries derailed one of the most promising seasons in recent Green Bay Packers history. Now, with Micah Parsons set to miss the start of the campaign, Matt LaFleur's team will have to work twice as hard to hold down the fort and prevent that from happening again.
The Packers didn't necessarily make big moves this offseason, but they should be more than set for the upcoming season if they're healthy. Fortunately, that might not be the case with the reigning divisional champions.
As ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz pointed out, the Chicago Bears were among the least improved teams in the league this offseason. Unlike the Packers, their approach had nothing to do with the players they'll get back from injury; it was flat-out organizational malpractice:
"The Bears had a poor defense last season and check a lot of boxes that suggest it will get even worse in 2026. Much better on third down than first or second down? Likely to get worse. Led the league in turnovers per drive? Likely to get worse. Lost talent in the offseason including both starting safeties, one of whom (Kevin Byard) was a first-team All-Pro? Likely to get worse," wrote Schaltz.
The Bears' lack of improvement is music to Packers fans' ears
The Bears relied too much on takeaways last season. Caleb Wiliams bailed them out with some great throws down the stretch, but that's simply not sustainable over time. They won't be able to keep pulling off late-game heroics and comebacks for much longer.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles entered the offseason knowing that his team couldn't put pressure on the quarterback. Even so, he didn't bolster the pass-rush, just hoping that Dayon Odeyingbo's injury return would make a difference. Yikes.
The Bears lost their defensive quarterback when they let Tremaine Edmunds go. And while Devin Bush looks like a suitable replacement on paper, he struggled mightily before finally looking good in Jim Schwartz's defense. He might be exposed again.
The divisional rivals had every chance to fix what was broken. Instead, they added another tight end and wide receiver to an overcrowded pass catchers' room. They're clearly overvaluing their defense, and that hubris will come back to haunt them next season.
The Bears have the makings of the team that played with house money and beat the odds one season, just to fall flat on its belly the next year when they face a tougher schedule. We've seen this movie a thousand times.
Of course, that doesn't mean the Packers will have an easy road back to the top of the NFC North. The Detroit Lions didn't do much either, but they'll have an easier schedule, and the Minnesota Vikings will pull the plug on the hilarious J.J. McCarthy fiasco.
However, if this team manages to weather the storm in Parsons' absence, and if Matthew Golden gives them anything after a mostly quiet rookie season, they should be right back on top. They have the personnel to get the job done, and the Bears may have wasted their window.
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