Honestly, if you've been following the Chicago Bears for more than a few years, you know the feeling. It’s that weird mix of deep-seated pride in a 1920s dynasty and the slow-burn frustration of a modern era that has felt like a giant rebuilding loop. But here we are in early 2026, and the conversation around the Chicago Bears record by season has taken a massive turn.
For a long time, looking at the standings was a chore. You’d see 5-12, 3-14, or the occasional 8-8 "mediocrity peak." But the 2025 season just wrapped up, and it changed the math. The Bears finished with an 11-6 record, clinching the NFC North for the first time since 2018. They didn't just stumble into it, either. Despite a shaky 2-4 record within the division, they took care of business elsewhere and actually won a Wild Card game against—of all teams—the Green Bay Packers.
Breaking down the Chicago Bears record by season
If you want to understand this team, you can't just look at last week. You have to look at the century of chaos that led here. The Bears are basically the "old money" of the NFL. They have over 800 wins now. They were the Decatur Staleys back in 1920, going 10-1-2. George Halas was basically doing everything back then—coaching, playing, probably even selling the tickets.
The 1940s were their peak. People talk about the "Monsters of the Midway" for a reason. In 1940, they went 8-3 and then absolutely dismantled Washington 73-0 in the championship. Imagine that today. You can't. The refs actually asked Halas to stop kicking extra points because they were running out of footballs.
The Super Bowl XX era and the long drought
Everyone knows 1985. 15-1. The "Super Bowl Shuffle." It's the gold standard that every subsequent season gets measured against, which is kinda unfair. Since that legendary run, the Bears have only made it back to the big game once, in 2006 under Lovie Smith. That year, they went 13-3, Devin Hester took the opening kickoff to the house in the Super Bowl, and then... well, Peyton Manning happened.
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Recent years: The 2020s roller coaster
The last few seasons before this current 2025/2026 upswing were, frankly, brutal.
- 2022: 3-14. This was the bottom of the well.
- 2023: 7-10. Signs of life, but still a losing record.
- 2024: 5-12. This one hurt because expectations were starting to creep up.
- 2025: 11-6. The breakout.
Caleb Williams has finally given the city a reason to stop looking at 1985 highlights on YouTube. He put up nearly 4,000 yards this year with 27 touchdowns. It’s the kind of stability at quarterback that the franchise has lacked since... maybe ever? Jay Cutler has the yardage records, but the consistency was always the "X" factor that went missing.
What most people get wrong about the history
There’s this myth that the Bears have always been a defensive team. While the 46 defense and the Urlacher era reinforced that, the early Halas teams were offensive innovators. They were the ones who perfected the T-formation. They were high-scoring, aggressive, and forward-thinking.
The modern struggle hasn't been about a lack of defense—it's been about the inability to pair a top-10 defense with an average offense. In 2018, the Bears went 12-4 with an elite defense, but the offense couldn't sustain it. In 2025, the script flipped a bit. The defense was ranked 23rd in points allowed, but the offense was 9th. That’s a massive shift in how this team wins games.
Championship count and the Packers rivalry
The Bears have 9 league championships. Most of those are pre-merger, which some younger fans tend to dismiss. But you can't talk about the Chicago Bears record by season without acknowledging that for the first 50 years of the league, Chicago was the dominant force. The rivalry with Green Bay is currently sitting at 96-108-6 in favor of the Packers. 2025's playoff win was a huge "get back" moment, but there's still a long way to go to even that series out.
Why the 2025 record actually matters
It’s about the trend line. For years, the Bears were "stuck." They’d fire a coach, hire a new one, draft a QB, and repeat. But Ben Johnson (the current head coach as of this 2025 run) seems to have broken the cycle. Winning the division with a 2-4 record against divisional rivals is weird—it’s actually the first time that’s happened since the 2010 Chiefs—but a win is a win.
The team's expected W-L was about 9-8, so they overperformed their stats. That usually suggests some luck, but when you have D'Andre Swift rushing for over 1,000 yards and guys like DJ Moore and Rome Odunze catching everything, luck becomes a secondary factor.
Actionable insights for fans and researchers
If you’re tracking the Bears’ trajectory, pay attention to the "points for" column. Historically, when the Bears score more than 24 points per game, they make the playoffs nearly 90% of the time. In 2025, they averaged 25.9.
- Look at the draft capital: The Bears have moved from a "buy veterans" strategy to a "build through the draft" model, which is finally reflecting in the win column.
- Monitor the turnover ratio: This has always been the heartbeat of Chicago football. In 2025, they stayed positive, which compensated for a defense that gave up more yards than fans are used to.
- Check the SOS (Strength of Schedule): The 2026 schedule looks tougher based on the 2025 divisional finishes, so the record might dip slightly even if the team plays better.
The story of the Chicago Bears isn't just a list of numbers. It's a century-long narrative of a city trying to recapture the magic of the 40s and the 80s. With an 11-6 record now in the books and a playoff win over Green Bay, the "record by season" isn't just a history lesson anymore—it's a live, breathing comeback story.