Bears hit with startling reality check as WR problems surface

The Chicago Bears boasted one of the most explosive offenses in all of football last season, and that was due much in part to an incredibly deep receiving corps that provided quarterback Caleb Williams with an embarrassment of riches.

Heading into 2026, it’s fair to question if that is any longer the case.

The Bears traded away D.J. Moore and lost Olamide Zaccheaus to free agency, and their response was to sign Kalif Raymond and select Zavion Thomas in the third round of the NFL Draft.

Raymond finished with less than 300 yards receiving each of the last two years, and while Thomas has looked good throughout Chicago’s offseason program, he was widely viewed as a reach when Chicago selected him.

Not only that, but Rome Odunze has stated that he doesn’t think he’ll ever be the same as a result of the foot issues he dealt with last season. Throw in the fact that Luther Burden III was also banged up in 2025, and the Bears’ wide receiver room could be in some serious trouble.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell also seems to be worried about Chicago’s weaponry, as he isn’t entirely sold on the team’s group of playmakers going into training camp.

Chicago Bears hit with blunt reality check

Barnwell ranked all the playmaking groups of all 32 NFL teams, and he had the Bears placed a very middling 15th.

“Odunze’s injury kept him from making the second-year leap many expected. DJ Moore took a step backward and was traded to the Bills. Replacing Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus with Kalif Raymond and third-round pick Zavion Thomas is a likely step backward. And while D’Andre Swift had his best year as a pro, I lean more toward [Ben] Johnson and the line driving that success than any sort of massive shift from the veteran RB,” Barnwell wrote.

While Barnwell clearly believes in Williams under center, he feels that the young signal-caller makes the offense look a bit better than it actually is.

“This is a young group with real upside, but I also get the sense that it wouldn’t be quite as appealing or productive with a less compelling playcaller,” Barnwell added.

Not enough people are talking about Chicago’s issues at wide receiver at the moment. Most people seem to be focused on the Bears’ refusal to add a pass rusher this offseason, and understandably so. But for as good as the offense was in 2025, there are a lot of questions surrounding it with the 2026 campaign on the horizon.

Perhaps Williams can put on his cape and once again guide the Bears to a top-ranked unit, but you kind of get the feeling that problems could arise here.

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