Wait ‘til next year is a sports cliché that often rings hollow, but with a good core of players in place for the Chicago Bears, and Ben Johnson and his coaching staff completing just year one in the Windy City, the 2025 season feels like the beginning of something special.
There’ll be roster turnover among the players and coaches, but there’s a lot of talent returning to Halas Hall in 2026, and the hunger to erase the feeling of losing to the Rams in the playoffs will drive this team all offseason.
The first important date this offseason will be the start of NFL Free Agency on March 11, with the early negotiating period starting on March 9. After that, the next big one is the Draft.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be in Pittsburgh from April 23–25, and with the Bears’ playoff exit, we know now where they’ll be picking in the first round. The full order will be finalized once compensatory picks are announced, but for now, the Bears will pick 25th in the first round.
Get those mock drafts fired up!
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Pick) Team: record, strength of schedule
1) Las Vegas Raiders: 3-14, .538
2) New York Jets: 3-14, .552
3) Arizona Cardinals: 3-14, .571
4) Tennessee Titans: 3-14, .574
5) New York Giants: 4-13, .524
6) Cleveland Browns: 5-12, .486
7) Washington Commanders: 5-12, .507
8) New Orleans Saints: 6-11, .495
9) Kansas City Chiefs: 6-11, .514
10) Cincinnati Bengals: 6-11, .521
11) Miami Dolphins: 7-10, .488
12) Dallas Cowboys: 7-9-1, .438
13) Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta): 8-9, .495
14) Baltimore Ravens: 8-9, .507
15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9, .529
16) New York Jets (from Indianapolis): 8-9, .540
17) Detroit Lions: 9-8; .490
18) Minnesota Vikings: 9-8, .514
19) Carolina Panthers: 8-9, .522
20) Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay): 9-7-1, .483
21) Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7, .503
22) Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6, .458
23) Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6, .476
24) Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville): 13-4, .478
25) Chicago Bears: 11-6, .458
26) Buffalo Bills: 12-5, .471
27) San Francisco 49ers: 12-5, .498
28) Houston Texans: 12-5, .522
Picks 29 and 30 will go to the losers of the Conference championship games, with pick 31 going to the Super Bowl runner-up, and pick 32 will go to the Super Bowl champ.
