Bears Week 1 Preview, Players to Watch & 2026 Season Predictions | Bleacher Nation Bears

Week 1 is here, and the Bleacher Nation Bears Podcast is setting the table for the start of the regular season.Hosts Luis Medina, Patrick Flowers, and Matt Rooney open with a temperature check on the Bears heading into Week 1 and how confident they feel about this team after an offseason full of expectations.The guys then highlight some of the most important Bears to watch beyond Caleb Williams, including D’Andre Swift and his role in Ben Johnson’s offense. With Johnson emphasizing the importance of the running game throughout the offseason, they discuss what Swift could mean for Chicago’s offense right out of the gate.Finally, it’s time for some season superlatives and predictions. Patrick has the Bears finishing 12-5, Matt checks in at 11-6, and Luis lands at 10-7 as they make their picks for offensive and defensive MVP, the players with the most to gain and lose this season, and even predict a potential Bears Super Bowl opponent.Twitter: @PatrickKFlowers, @mrooney23, @lcm1986Get your Cubs Coverage at https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs Get your Bears Coverage at https://www.bleachernation.com/bears Get your Bulls Coverage at https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls Get your Blackhawks Coverage at https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks Get Sports Betting Updates, Info, & Tips at https://www.bleachernation.com/betting Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.