Stock up, stock down: 2025 Chicago Bears review

The season came to an abrupt end on Sunday. But what a season it was.

If fans had been told way back in July that the Chicago Bears would be playing in the divisional round of the playoffs, be division champions and beat the Packers twice, a fair number of fans would’ve wondered just how crazy the season would be.

And if they were told that after week two, when the Bears were 0-2 in record and in the division, it would’ve felt like a crazy pipe dream.

But it all happened and the fanbase unlocked a new treasure trove of highlights to keep us watching and rewatching over and over all summer long. Plus, a lot of stress, anxiety and triumph.

2025 was a season to remember.

But if you think back to last summer, what was the sentiment? I think many of us thought Ben Johnson was a good coach and could help the team improve. But the ethos was “develop Caleb Williams at all costs.”

I think we’ve checked the box on that. And on if we have a real head coach.

Things are looking up, for sure. But now there are expectations.

Expectations are dangerous because it opens the door for disappointment. But something tells me Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have a high standard to stave off disappointment.

This will be a longer stock up, stock down column because I am going to look at both the divisional round game and some season-long stock up and down players.

Stock up(Divisional round)

Jaquan Brisker, S – Brisker played out of his mind on Sunday. He led the team with 14 tackles, added two pass breakups and a sack. Plus a QB hit and a TFL. I don’t know if the Bears will want to extend him given his concussion history, but he’s still an effective player. If there is a contract that can be worked out that makes both sides feel comfortable, I hope he’s back.

Kyler Gordon, CB – I know I am one of those fans frustrated by Gordon’s health. He’s missed a lot of games and the Bears just gave him a lot of money. Obviously, he can’t help that, but availability is a big deal. After looking like he was still returning from injury last week, he was all over the place against the Rams. It reminded me of why he is so important to the defense and worth the new contract. He finished with a sack, a TFL, a QB hit and seven tackles.

Joe Thuney, T – An All-Pro player on the stock up list? Yes! When he’s playing out of position on a week’s notice, he earns it. Thuney started at left tackle for the injured Ozzy Trapilo and didn’t give up a sack. He was as outstanding as he’s been at guard, on the outside. Huge.

Season stock up

Caleb Williams, QB – How could he not be here? This season was all about developing Caleb and solidifying that he’s the guy, that the Bears can finally have a franchise quarterback. And I think he answered that. There were a lot of growing pains. And even the easy stuff, the so-called layups, have still been missed sometimes. But Williams is at his best when the game is on the line and in the biggest moments. His deep ball accuracy questions were all erased. While there is plenty of room for improvement, we saw a record-setting quarterback do things we’ve never seen a Bears QB do, and more than once.

Colston Loveland, TE – Going from the “other” tight end in the first round to THE tight end has been fun to watch for Chicago fans. After listening to Colts fans gloat early in the year, it got awfully quiet after mid-October. And Loveland only got better and better from there. He finished the season as the Bears’ leading receiver in receptions (58) and yards (713) and tied for the lead in touchdowns.

Kyle Monangai, RB – After being selected in the seventh round, Monangai really came up huge as a rookie. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns. He had two 100-yard games. He and D’Andre Swift were the only RB duo in the league to rush for more than 750 yards.

Stock down (divisional round)

Luther Burden, WR – I don’t think Burden had his best game. He had a couple of drops and finished with three catches and 24 yards on seven targets.

Rome Odunze, WR – His dropped touchdown on the first drive set an unfortunate tone for the game and ended up being a huge difference in the final score. He came up with a couple of big catches, but was mostly disappointing with the season on the line. I still have high hopes for him, especially when he gets healthy.

Austin Booker, DE – Booker was on the rise late in the season and into the playoffs. But he disappeared against Los Angeles. He was credited with just three tackles.

Season stock down

Tyrique Stevenson, CB – This isn’t about one game. He performed well against the Rams. But overall, his season can be considered a disappointment and I am not sure why. Early in the year he stepped up and bounced back from up-and-down play. But after the emergence of Nashon Wright, he was never able to earn back playing time. While Wright had a knack for turnovers, he also tended to get beaten in coverage.

Olamide Zaccheaus, WR – Zaccheaus can be considered a disappointment in some ways because of how hyped he was during training camp. All we heard about was him and Caleb’s chemistry. But it never materialized in the regular season. He finished the year with 39 catches for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns. Of course, the emergence of Luther Burden expedited OZ’s disappearance, but that’s a credit to the rookie.

DJ Moore, WR – Moore is another case I don’t know what to make of. It seemed like he should’ve been primed for a career year. Or at least to be the leading receiver. He finished second, but really only because Rome Odunze missed the final five games of the season. And while he had incredible moments with insanely high highs (two game-winners against the Packers), he also had a lot of games and moments where he seemed to disappear. I thought this would be a bounce-back season, where it seemed like the Bears had a great top-flight receiving duo. Now, I kind of feel like they can move on and be just fine.

What do you think of my list? Who is on your 2025 up and down lists?