NFL power rankings: Where does The Athletic have the Bears?

As NFL teams all report for training camp, it’s time for all the national outlets to provide their preseason predictions for the upcoming 2024 season.

The latest NFL power rankings come from The Athletic, and this list has the Chicago Bears ranked at No. 15 after a big offseason full of new additions.

Here’s what The Athletic’s Josh Kendall had to say about the Bears heading into this year:

“A quick NFL history lesson: This team used to be referred to as the Monsters of the Midway,” Kendall wrote. “That’s right. The Bears were once good but have had only one winning season since 2012 and one playoff win since 2006. So why are Bears fans so giddy? No one in the NFL has added more in the offseason. The list includes No. 1 pick quarterback Caleb Williams, No. 9 pick wide receiver Rome Odunze, veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, safety Kevin Byard and running back D’Andre Swift. They also overhauled their entire offensive coaching staff.”

Plenty of national voices have made it clear that the Bears could be a playoff contender this season, despite breaking in a new rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

If the Bears do end up as one of the top 15 teams in the league this season, that should put them firmly in the playoff picture, with even bigger things ahead as Williams and the rest of his supporting cast continues to develop.